:: Latest Microsoft solutions for Energy City
Posted: 09 March 2006
Bahrain-based Gulf Energy, promoters of the multi-billion dollar Energy City Qatar project, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft Corporation.

:: Energy City Qatar appoints CEO
Posted: 07 March 2006
Bob Moore was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the multi-billion dollar Energy City Qatar, a development that looks to build Gulf’s first hydrocarbon industry hub.

:: PETRORabigh signs landmark financing facilities worth $5.8 billion
Posted: 06 March 2006
PETRORabigh, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical, has signed financing agreements to develop the western coast of the Saudi Arabia.

:: Sister yards to undertake deepwater semi upgrade
Posted: 06 March 2006
Keppel FELS Limited has secured a $177 million contract for the upgrading of a semisubmersible drilling rig Blackford Dolphin for Blackford Dolphin Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fred Olsen Energy.

:: ABN AMRO structures $ 17.9 million financing package for Topaz
Posted: 06 March 2006
ABN AMRO has announced that it had concluded structuring a term loan facility of $17.9 million for Topaz Energy and Marine Ltd, a Dubai-based oil and gas services company. The funding facility, which is backed by a leading European export credit guarantee institution, will assist Topaz in the acquisition of its latest offshore support vessel, the BUE Citadel.

:: Emission monitoring system to be installed in Qatar’s LNG tankers
Posted: 06 March 2006
Qatar is currently the largest market for MariNOx, the region’s first emissions monitoring system for pollutants in exhaust gas from ships, according to Martek Marine, a leading marine safety and environmental monitoring products.

:: Soco adds production capability in Yemen
Posted: 06 March 2006
Soco's majority owned subsidiary, Comeco Petroleum, Inc., has announced the completion of a number of wells on the Kharir and Atuf Fields that will add to current production capability, as well as exploration activities in the northern part of the Block.

:: Total to unlock unconventional gas in China
Posted: 06 March 2006
Total and PetroChina will jointly develop the natural gas resources of the South Sulige block of Ordos Basin, in the Province of Inner Mongolia, onshore China.

:: WorleyParsons wins five year engineering contract in Saudi Arabia
Posted: 06 March 2006
The contract is to provide engineering services for a suite of expansion and renovation projects for Al-Khafji Joint Operations' existing oil and gas production facilities, both offshore and onshore.

:: Aerospace and defence service company enters Qatar Science & Technology Park
Posted: 06 March 2006
European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), a global leader in aerospace and defence services, has signed an agreement to establish a centre for training, research and development at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP).

:: Cal Dive changes name to Helix Energy Solutions
Posted: 06 March 2006
Cal Dive International, effective 6 March 2006, will change its corporate name to Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. The company will thus trade under the stock symbol HELX on the NASDAQ exchange.

:: Chevron acquires oil sands leases in Canada
Posted: 06 March 2006
Chevron said it has acquired five heavy oil leases in the Athabasca region of northern Alberta. The leases comprise about 75,000 acres and possess an estimated 7.5 billion barrels of oil in place.

:: Chevron ties deals worth over $1 billion with Transocean
Posted: 06 March 2006
Chevron has awarded Transocean a deepwater drilling contract that will prompt the construction of a new state-of-the-art drillship exclusively dedicated to Chevron for five years.

:: Conference chairs announced
Posted: 06 March 2006
Art Meyer, Vice President Technology, Enbridge Pipelines Inc will chair the 6th International Pipeline Conference in Calgary, Canada on 25-29 September 2006. Meyer is also the president of Gateway Pipeline, a new major pipeline development that is set to increase access to Pacific Rim markets. He has, during his 25 years in the industry, directed the operation of major

:: Event to focus on people in the upstream
Posted: 06 March 2006
Getenergy is set to bring together providers of education and training to the upstream oil and gas with national and international oil and gas operators in Dubai on 27-29 March 2006.

:: Ferguson lands contract for helicopter base
Posted: 06 March 2006
Offshore accommodation provider Ferguson Modular has landed about $526,000 contract from KBR for the supply of a four-module Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter operations complex on BP’s Miller Platform.

:: From director to ambassador
Posted: 06 March 2006
The board of BP has announced that Michael Wilson has stood down as a non-executive director with immediate effect. Wilson has been appointed as Ambassador of Canada to the United States of America, a post which he will take up in early March.

:: Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association launched
Posted: 06 March 2006
A Memorandum of Understanding has recently been signed by the founding members of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association, thus creating the first voluntary, non-profit association of its kind in the Middle East . The main role of the GPCA is to identify, address and manage the common interests of its members by utilising the consolidated resources of the association. This cooperation will also be extended to other similar organisations outside the Gulf region.

:: Intel goes WiMax in Saudi Arabia
Posted: 06 March 2006
Intel’s operations in Saudi Arabia have achieved a regional first by adopting WiMAX technology to support their communication needs through Integrated Telecom Co. (ITC). ITC has started the deployment WiMAX network infrastructure early this year.

:: Keppel secures $270 million contract from GlobalSantaFe
Posted: 06 March 2006
Under the contract agreement, GSF will supply the drilling and sub-sea equipment while Keppel FELS provides the design, engineering and construction of the hull as well as the accommodation quarters for 180 men and marine equipment.

:: Keppel’s contract with Atwood for a newbuild jackup now effective
Posted: 06 March 2006
Texas-based Keppel AmFELS has announced that its contract with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atwood for the construction of a new jackup rig is now effective.

:: Khurais Oil Project takes major step
Posted: 06 March 2006
The largest crude increment program ever to be carried out by Saudi Aramco took a major step forward with a key job explanation meeting held recently in Dhahran.

:: Largest seawater treatment plant expanded
Posted: 06 March 2006
Ali I. Al-Naimi, Saudi’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources commended the key members of Southern Area Oil Operations for completing the expansion of Qurayyah plant, under the budget and ahead of schedule.

:: London hydrogen bus trial receives one year extension
Posted: 06 March 2006
Under the nine-city CUTE programme, BP provides hydrogen for three London buses at its retail site in Hornchurch. The programme - currently the largest hydrogen bus trial in the world - was due to end in January 2006. However, following the success of the trial in London and other cities, the European Union has agreed to part-fund the programme for another 12 months. Seven cities will take part in the extension.

:: New subsea camera to debut in water tank
Posted: 06 March 2006
A new camera system that sees new leak detection trace dye will be demonstrated for the first time at the OI06 Ocean Forum at the Great Yarmouth stand no. 364.

:: OMV enters Norway
Posted: 06 March 2006
OMV announced that it will open an office in Norway to evaluate E&P opportunities. The announcement came after OMV Exploration and Production GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of OMV Aktiengesellschaft was informed by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy on 28 February 2006, that it had pre-qualified as an Operator on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.