Keppel Shipyard has secured contracts from repeat customers amounting to S$150 million (US$103.57 million) for the upgrading, modification and conversion of two vessels.
Work on the vessels is expected to commence in October 2008. The first contract is from Single Buoy Moorings Inc (SBM), for the upgrading and conversion of a tanker into an FPSO. This will be the tenth FPSO conversion project that Keppel has undertaken for SBM since 2000. To be converted from the 255,272DWT VLCC ‘MT Accord’, the spread-moored P-57 FPSO will be capable to undertake gas compression of 71 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmscf/d). Keppel Shipyard’s scope of work includes the hull and marine conversion; spread mooring aids installation, accommodation block extensions/refurbishment, fabrication and installation of marine pipe rack, topside module supports as well as part of the topside modules installation. To be supplied in a fixed lumpsum contract by SBM to Petrobras, the vessel is expected to leave Keppel Shipyard in the fourth quarter of 2009 for Brazil where the remaining work will be completed, which will account for 65 percent of the whole project. The vessel will subsequently be deployed in the deepwater Jubarte field in the Campos Basin. The second contract is from Golar LNG, for the conversion of ‘Golar Winter’ (VT1), a membrane LNG Carrier into a Floating Storage Re-gasification Unit (FSRU).
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Monday, October 6, 2008
ExxonMobil to develop gasification technology
Irving, Texas and Los Angeles: ExxonMobil has entered into an agreement with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to develop next-generation technology to convert coal, coke or biomass to synthesis gas, which could facilitate the use of carbon capture and storage to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power generation.
Under the agreement, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE) and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne will work together to develop and test new gasification technology to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of converting raw materials into gas. The work focuses on the development of a gasification-reactor system, which has the potential to offer significant advantages compared to conventional approaches. Key features of PWR's rocket-engine expertise, uniform feed distribution, high temperature combustion and rapid heat removal, are utilized, resulting in a smaller and more cost effective system. "Gasification technology has the potential to help with many of our most pressing energy challenges and we are pleased to be involved in this important project," said Rich Pisarczyk, president of ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. "Turning coal and similar energy sources into synthesis gas would allow these sources to be converted into a range of products, including chemicals, transportation fuels and power plant feedstock. Gasification also helps enable the adoption of carbon capture and storage and therefore reduces emissions from the use of coal and other heavy feedstocks." Work has begun on pilot plants to test the technology at the Gas Technologies Institute in Des Plaines, Illinois, and the Energy and Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. ExxonMobil is also cooperating with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to assist in identifying potential interested parties for demonstration.
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Under the agreement, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE) and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne will work together to develop and test new gasification technology to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of converting raw materials into gas. The work focuses on the development of a gasification-reactor system, which has the potential to offer significant advantages compared to conventional approaches. Key features of PWR's rocket-engine expertise, uniform feed distribution, high temperature combustion and rapid heat removal, are utilized, resulting in a smaller and more cost effective system. "Gasification technology has the potential to help with many of our most pressing energy challenges and we are pleased to be involved in this important project," said Rich Pisarczyk, president of ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. "Turning coal and similar energy sources into synthesis gas would allow these sources to be converted into a range of products, including chemicals, transportation fuels and power plant feedstock. Gasification also helps enable the adoption of carbon capture and storage and therefore reduces emissions from the use of coal and other heavy feedstocks." Work has begun on pilot plants to test the technology at the Gas Technologies Institute in Des Plaines, Illinois, and the Energy and Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. ExxonMobil is also cooperating with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to assist in identifying potential interested parties for demonstration.
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Sembawang conversion enables deeper drilling
Singapore: Sembawang Shipyard reports successful completion of major upgrade work to drillship ‘Aban Abraham’.
Dutch design office Ulstein Sea of Solutions has been responsible for the concept and basic design of the upgrade to operate the DP vessel in deeper waters up to 6,600 feet. The upgrade works on the Pelican-class vessel, owned by Aban Abraham Pte. Ltd., included a.o. widening of the beam by adding sponsons on both sides of the drillship to compensate for additional weight and provide sufficient buoyancy. A total of 3,500t displacement was gained by adding the sponsons, increasing deadweight capacity with an additional 1,400t. The vessel’s capacities for riser tensioning, riser storage, riser handling and mud storage has subsequently increased significantly to deal with the increased water depth. The upgrade also involved a new substructure with an increased drill floor height and an increase in power generating capacity including a complete new power distribution and automation system.
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Dutch design office Ulstein Sea of Solutions has been responsible for the concept and basic design of the upgrade to operate the DP vessel in deeper waters up to 6,600 feet. The upgrade works on the Pelican-class vessel, owned by Aban Abraham Pte. Ltd., included a.o. widening of the beam by adding sponsons on both sides of the drillship to compensate for additional weight and provide sufficient buoyancy. A total of 3,500t displacement was gained by adding the sponsons, increasing deadweight capacity with an additional 1,400t. The vessel’s capacities for riser tensioning, riser storage, riser handling and mud storage has subsequently increased significantly to deal with the increased water depth. The upgrade also involved a new substructure with an increased drill floor height and an increase in power generating capacity including a complete new power distribution and automation system.
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Austal aspires to new LCS contract
Australian shipbuilder Austal is hoping to receive confirmation from the US Navy to build another littoral combat ship (LCS).
Austal was behind the US$500 million LCS ‘Independence’ which was built at Austal’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. The vessel is scheduled to be handed over to the US Navy in five months. Austal’s Chief executive Bob Browning said that the US government had some concerns with budget issues associated with the credit crisis. However, US President George W Bush signed off on a US$1 billion allocation last week for two more navy ships. It is most likely that Austal would receive one contract while rival US shipbuilder Lockheed Martin, which built ‘Freedom’, would receive the other contact. “We would hope to be sitting down to finalize these two contracts in the next several weeks,” Mr Browning was quoted as saying. “All of the signals we have got from the officials out there is that they are going to move ahead quickly to do that.”
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Austal was behind the US$500 million LCS ‘Independence’ which was built at Austal’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. The vessel is scheduled to be handed over to the US Navy in five months. Austal’s Chief executive Bob Browning said that the US government had some concerns with budget issues associated with the credit crisis. However, US President George W Bush signed off on a US$1 billion allocation last week for two more navy ships. It is most likely that Austal would receive one contract while rival US shipbuilder Lockheed Martin, which built ‘Freedom’, would receive the other contact. “We would hope to be sitting down to finalize these two contracts in the next several weeks,” Mr Browning was quoted as saying. “All of the signals we have got from the officials out there is that they are going to move ahead quickly to do that.”
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Gas shows in Reliance's GS01-M1 well
Mumbai, India: Reliance Industries recorded gas shows in its GS01-M1 exploration well.
The wildcat, which was drilled using Transocean semi submersible Actinia, displayed gas shows with heavier-end hydrocarbons while drilling was underway in the mid-Eocene target zone over a 20-metre (66-ft) interval. GS01-M1 was drilled to a total depth of 4,326 metres (14,193 ft) in the Gujarat-Saurashtra Basin GS01 block to explore the Oligocene and Eocene carbon targets. The middle Eocene carbonate could not be drilled in its entirety due to pressure limitations of the rig. Modular dynamic tester tests conducted were inconclusive and the joint venture was not able to conduct a conventional drill stem test to prove up the gas find. Reliance has plugged and abandoned the well with plans to continue with advanced processing of 3-D seismic and integrating the new drilling data to evaluate the M1 prospect. Meanwhile, Reliance is putting on hold plans to drill the GS01-B2 appraisal well as Actinia moves on to drill on Hardy Oil and Gas' PY3 block. GS01-B2 is designed to appraise a previous gas find, Dhirubhai-33, in the offshore block to determine the commercial feasibility of developing the discovery.
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The wildcat, which was drilled using Transocean semi submersible Actinia, displayed gas shows with heavier-end hydrocarbons while drilling was underway in the mid-Eocene target zone over a 20-metre (66-ft) interval. GS01-M1 was drilled to a total depth of 4,326 metres (14,193 ft) in the Gujarat-Saurashtra Basin GS01 block to explore the Oligocene and Eocene carbon targets. The middle Eocene carbonate could not be drilled in its entirety due to pressure limitations of the rig. Modular dynamic tester tests conducted were inconclusive and the joint venture was not able to conduct a conventional drill stem test to prove up the gas find. Reliance has plugged and abandoned the well with plans to continue with advanced processing of 3-D seismic and integrating the new drilling data to evaluate the M1 prospect. Meanwhile, Reliance is putting on hold plans to drill the GS01-B2 appraisal well as Actinia moves on to drill on Hardy Oil and Gas' PY3 block. GS01-B2 is designed to appraise a previous gas find, Dhirubhai-33, in the offshore block to determine the commercial feasibility of developing the discovery.
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Sunday, October 5, 2008
Protest over congestion at DP World terminal in Melbourne
Melbourne: Member companies of Shipping Australia, which represents the major users of Australian wharf and shipping facilities are meeting with severe congestion at the Port of Melbourne at the DP World facility.
DP World has taken over terminal operations at Swanson Dock in Melbourne. Port users had previously warned the Port of Melbourne Corporation that the continued growth of containers being handled would put existing facilities under severe pressure. Said Shipping Australia (SAL) CEO, Lew Russell in a statement this week: "Our fears have come to pass. SAL members using the DP World container terminal at Swanson Dock in Melbourne have complained they have been unable to ship out all the empty containers they need to, due to DP World yard congestion”. This impacts on the facilitation of Australian trade, he added. "One member alone said they had to cancel 3000 planned empty exports over the past two months. Other members have also experienced problems" Mr. Russell pointed out, adding that one problem appeared to be the late handover of the tank farm site from the Port of Melbourne Corporation to DP World which will not now be ready for occupation until late next year. “There is a need for all stakeholders to work together to sort out a workable solution as soon as possible. Bringing forward the establishment of a new container terminal at Webb Dock must now be high on the agenda," he added.
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DP World has taken over terminal operations at Swanson Dock in Melbourne. Port users had previously warned the Port of Melbourne Corporation that the continued growth of containers being handled would put existing facilities under severe pressure. Said Shipping Australia (SAL) CEO, Lew Russell in a statement this week: "Our fears have come to pass. SAL members using the DP World container terminal at Swanson Dock in Melbourne have complained they have been unable to ship out all the empty containers they need to, due to DP World yard congestion”. This impacts on the facilitation of Australian trade, he added. "One member alone said they had to cancel 3000 planned empty exports over the past two months. Other members have also experienced problems" Mr. Russell pointed out, adding that one problem appeared to be the late handover of the tank farm site from the Port of Melbourne Corporation to DP World which will not now be ready for occupation until late next year. “There is a need for all stakeholders to work together to sort out a workable solution as soon as possible. Bringing forward the establishment of a new container terminal at Webb Dock must now be high on the agenda," he added.
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World Ocean Council creates global ocean business community for sustainability of the seas
Ocean industries from around the world gathered recently at the United Nations in New York for the inaugural World Ocean Council (WOC) meeting to develop an unprecedented global alliance on sustainability.
UN Global Compact Executive Director, Georg Kell, and UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea Director, Vaclav Mikulka, opened the workshop. “The World Ocean Council efforts to bring together the global “ocean business community” to develop leadership and collaboration for ocean sustainability and stewardship are critical to the future of the oceans,” Mr Mikulka said. Participants from the shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, mining, maritime salvage and other ocean industries met to identify priorities and strategies for the WOC to create a global cross-sectoral industry coalition on sustainable seas. Paul Holthus, WOC Executive Director said that the extraordinary growth in ocean use was resulting in cumulative impacts to the marine environment at a global scale, perhaps even affecting the ocean’s crucial role in regulating climate. The industry representatives all stressed that the principle business driver for constructively addressing sustainability is reducing risk, especially the threat of losing access to ocean space or resources. The WOC will coordinate efforts to reduce risk and increase stable and responsible ocean use by facilitating industry engaging in international ocean policy processes and collaborating on practical solutions. Mike Boots, Director, Seafood Choices Alliance said that collective efforts to share responsibility for the sustainable management of the seas were essential. “The World Ocean Council is bringing together multiple sectors of ocean users to develop solutions that can lead to lasting improvements in ocean health," he said.
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UN Global Compact Executive Director, Georg Kell, and UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea Director, Vaclav Mikulka, opened the workshop. “The World Ocean Council efforts to bring together the global “ocean business community” to develop leadership and collaboration for ocean sustainability and stewardship are critical to the future of the oceans,” Mr Mikulka said. Participants from the shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, mining, maritime salvage and other ocean industries met to identify priorities and strategies for the WOC to create a global cross-sectoral industry coalition on sustainable seas. Paul Holthus, WOC Executive Director said that the extraordinary growth in ocean use was resulting in cumulative impacts to the marine environment at a global scale, perhaps even affecting the ocean’s crucial role in regulating climate. The industry representatives all stressed that the principle business driver for constructively addressing sustainability is reducing risk, especially the threat of losing access to ocean space or resources. The WOC will coordinate efforts to reduce risk and increase stable and responsible ocean use by facilitating industry engaging in international ocean policy processes and collaborating on practical solutions. Mike Boots, Director, Seafood Choices Alliance said that collective efforts to share responsibility for the sustainable management of the seas were essential. “The World Ocean Council is bringing together multiple sectors of ocean users to develop solutions that can lead to lasting improvements in ocean health," he said.
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