Our Arctic Neighbors: Russians, Norwegians set standards 12/27/2009
Barents 2020 project concludes with recommendations on health, safety and environment for petroleum activities in the Barents Sea
Russian and Norwegian experts participating in the Barents 2020 project have presented their recommendations on common regulations for health, safety and the environment during petroleum activities in...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Liquefied natural gas plant for Nenets Oblast? 12/13/2009
Taking cue from Putin, independent considers LNG plant for commercializing Arctic fields instead of gas-chemical complex
A little-known Russian independent, Moscow-based CH-Oil and Gaz, has announced plans to build a liquefied natural gas plant in the Nenets Autonomous Oblast. The LNG Pechora Project, as it is called, was...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Statoil postpones plant's startup again 12/13/2009
Technical challenges are still delaying the startup of Statoil's Melkoya liquefied natural gas plant near Hammerfest in northern Norway, the company said in a release Nov. 23. The plant, which process...

Icy spill easier to clean, scientists say 11/22/2009
Research funded by oil interests conflicts with conventional wisdom, based on research done in Barents Sea above northern Europe
Scientists funded by Shell and six other oil companies say that cleaning up oil spills in Arctic ice is in many respects easier than cleaning it from open water. The reason, they said Nov. 17, is tha...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Statoil upgrades LNG plant 11/22/2009
Three-month shutdown goes as planned, but technical problems prevent on-schedule startup
Production was due to resume in early November at the Snohvit project's Melkoya liquefied natural gas plant in northern Norway after a three-month planned shutdown for upgrading and maintenance, opera...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Nexans to make cables for Barents Sea rig 11/22/2009
Russia's largest shipbuilding company, Sevmash, has awarded a contract worth about $9 million to Paris-based Nexans to develop, manufacture and supply 528 miles of low-temperature and ice-resistant co...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Norway seeks industry's offshore preferences 11/22/2009
The Norwegian government has invited oil companies to nominate blocks that ought to be included in the 21st licensing round on the Norwegian continental shelf, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy sai...

Statoil opening Alaska office, plans Chukchi seismic shoot 11/22/2009
Statoil USA EandP is looking for office space in Anchorage to house the company's first Alaska-based employee, Karin Berentsen. Berentsen, who will be moving to the state from Norway in January, is work...

Our Arctic Neighbors: StatoilHydro ready for Shtokman collaboration 10/25/2009
Norwegian company will use experience from Ormen Lange, Snohvit to develop subsea installations for Russian Barents Sea project
Norway's StatoilHydro is gearing up for the "mother of all projects" - developing the Shtokman gas field in the Russian part of the Barents Sea - Bengt Lie Hansen, the company's president in Russia, s...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Total proud of Russia far north achievements 10/25/2009
Total is committed to long-term work in Russia, Pierre Nerguararian, the head of Total EandP Russia, told the Murmansk International Economic Forum Oct. 15. The French company is involved in three proje...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Russia reopens for Arctic energy business 10/11/2009
Government acknowledges need for international partners in remote regions but will maintain firm control of selection process
Russia needs international expertise and technology to develop its vast Arctic oil and gas resources, and in return for that the country invites foreign companies to participate in projects, Prime Min...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Murmansk ready for action on Shtokman project 10/11/2009
Russia's northwestern Murmansk Oblast is ready to become a base for development of the Shtokman gas field in the Barents Sea and is looking forward to working with its Norwegian partner in the Shtokma...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Norwegian shelf attracting strong interest 09/27/2009
Forty-four companies have applied for production licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf - in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea - in the Awards in Predefined Areas 2009 program,...

Arctic Directory: A shared Arctic effort 09/20/2009
Companies must work together to conquer Far North, speakers tell OTC audience
No aspiring oil company can be an island when it comes to living and working in Arctic conditions, according to those in the know. So complex and formidable are the challenges that sharing information...

Arctic Directory: Investing in the Arctic 09/20/2009
Big resource, big opportunity, big challenge in Far North outrank many hot spots
The Arctic is said to outrank many of the globe's current exploration hot spots, including Brazil and West Africa. But don't expect companies to flock to the Far North anytime soon, especially at a ti...

Our Arctic Neighbors: StatoilHydro replaces plant's heat exchangers 09/13/2009
Norway's StatoilHydro shut down its Melkoya liquefied natural gas plant Aug. 15 for up to three months of scheduled upgrading and maintenance work, the company said in a release. The plant near Hammer...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Norway reduces Barents Sea resource estimate 09/13/2009
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has updated its resource estimate for the Barents Sea, reducing estimated recoverable resources from 36.4 billion standard cubic feet of oil equivalents to 32.1 bil...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Norwegian fishermen disrupt seismic survey 09/13/2009
Most data acquisition proceeded as planned but some areas were blocked by opponents of drilling in controversial Lofoten region
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has been unable to complete all of its planned seismic data acquisition in the far north this summer because of protests by fishermen. The NPD failed to survey part...

Italian drilling rig not ready for Arctic 08/23/2009
Norwegian inspectors find sloppy, risky practices on rig intended for Eni to use in Barents Sea during audit at shipyard
Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority, or PSA, has identified numerous problems with a drilling rig that has been built by Eni subsidiary Saipem for use by Eni Norge in the Barents Sea. PSA audited tec...

Norwegians study Barents hydrocarbon leakage 08/23/2009
Improved techniques for monitoring ecological impact may apply to natural seepage and to accidental leaks from damaged vessels
The Geological Survey of Norway is launching a study of natural seepage of hydrocarbons around the Snohvit and Goliat fields in the Barents Sea, the agency's Jochen Knies said in a presentation at the...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Scientists reveal secrets of Novaya Zemlya 08/09/2009
Russian Arctic archipelago is closed to the outside world but an expedition in 1921 brought back samples that hint at hydrocarbons
Oil companies may now study geological material from the Russian Arctic archipelago Novaya Zemlya, which is inaccessible because of nuclear pollution and military security. The material was collected...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Greenland and Barents Sea data being collected 07/26/2009
Geophysical company TGS is acquiring data off the coast of Greenland and in the Barents Sea this summer for clients interested in hydrocarbons. This is the tenth consecutive year of new data acquisiti...

Our Arctic Neighbors: High standards goal for Barents Sea projects 07/12/2009
Norwegian government has initiated expert meetings with the Russians to harmonize industry standards for offshore Arctic region
Representatives of the Russian and Norwegian governments and the countries' oil companies met in late June and early July to hear and discuss a status report from risk management company Det Norske Ve...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Eni must collect climate data in Barents Sea 07/12/2009
Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority orders company to make observations at Goliat oil field due to unusual weather conditions
Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority has ordered Eni Norge, the operator of the Goliat oil field in the Barents Sea, to implement collection and real-time reporting of meteorological and oceanographic...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Total joins Russians on Arctic gas field 07/12/2009
France's Total is purchasing a 49 percent interest in Terneftegas, a subsidiary of independent gas producer Novatek, based in Russia's Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Total said in a June 24 release....