Andersson, Hannegan, Al-Hussain recognized with IADC Exemplary Service Awards

Chevron’s Goran Andersson was involved in implementing various measures to strengthen the IADC WellCAP program at a critical time in the industry. He received an Exemplary Service Award from IADC president/CEO Stephen Colville at the 2012 IADC Annual General Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., last week.

IADC recognized three longtime association supporters and industry veterans

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Exclusive video: The roots and future of hydraulic fracturing

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Matt Blauch, director of product development at Nabors, talks about the history and future of hydraulic fracturing with Drilling Contractor editorial coordinator Joanne Liou at the 2012 IADC Annual General Meeting last week in Scottsdale, Ariz. Since 1947, industry has continued to fine-tune the technology to increase well productivity and economically develop unconventional plays.

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Diamond Offshore shifting fleet to meet deepwater, ultra-deepwater demands

Michael Acuff, senior vice president, contracts and marketing, Diamond Offshore Drilling, expressed a positive outlook for the offshore market as the company shifts its focus to deepwater and ultra-deepwater markets.

Supported by dayrates hovering around $600,000 and increasing rig demand from frontier areas, the ultra-deepwater market continues to push contractors, such as Diamond Offshore Drilling, to reposition its fleet to capitalize on this healthy market. The deepwater basins of the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Brazil and West Africa have traditionally driven offshore rig demand; however, over the past four years, emerging markets, including Mexico, East Africa and Australia, have added to the demand with a wealth of successful exploration activity, Michael Acuff, senior vice president, contracts and marketing, Diamond Offshore Drilling, said at the 2012 IADC Annual General Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., on 8 November.

Diamond Offshore, which has divested six jackups over the past eight months, has been moving to focus its fleet on deeper waters. In the last four years, the company has invested approximately $4.2 billion in new rig capacity, which includes four ultra-deepwater drillships expected to enter the market in 2013 and 2014. All four drillships are of the Hyundai P10000 design, capable of drilling in up to 12,000-ft of water and drilling down to 40,000-ft, with dual activity capabilities and dual seven-ram BOPs.

In addition, Mr Acuff noted that attractive shipyard pricing in South Korea and Singapore is driving contractors to bring additional capacity to market, particularly in view of positive dayrate trends and contract terms, which are running from three to 10 years for ultra-deepwater units. In the near term, Mr Acuff believes ultra-deepwater rigs will remain in shortage; by 2014, however, a significant number of rigs are expected to enter the market, which could put it back in more balance.

For the more conventional deepwater market, where dayrates have jumped from approximately $300,000 to $500,000 over the past 12 months, Diamond Offshore also is building two 6,000-ft capable semisubmersibles featuring Victory-class hulls. The Ocean Onyx, scheduled for delivery in Q3 2013, is already contracted to Apache in the GOM, and the Ocean Apex is scheduled for delivery in Q2 2014.

The mid-water market remains attractive, too, particularly in the UK and North Sea, Mr Acuff said. In most of the rest of the world, this market segment is moving at a stable pace, but the UK and North Sea mid-water market is experiencing an increase in demand similar to the ultra-deepwater markets.

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BSEE director explains INC policy, outlines strategic plan

BSEE’s Incident of Non-Compliance policy is aimed to provide guidance to the agency’s field personnel in the event of a serious incident, Rear Admiral James Watson, director of BSEE, said at the 2012 IADC Annual General Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Providing the regulator perspective in a keynote address at the 2012 IADC Annual General Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., last week, Rear Admiral James Watson, director of the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) revisited the agency’s issuance of the Incidents of Non-Compliance (INC) policy and outlined its strategic plan.

In August, after BSEE issued the interim policy document on Issuance of an INC to Contractors, IADC quickly issued a statement expressing concern that

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Assessment, training and leadership foster confidence in competencies at BP

Richard Lynch, head of global wells, BP, shared his company’s approach to ensure individual competencies, which focuses on assessment, training and leadership.

In the mission to deliver safe, compliant and reliable wells, people are the life of the operation, and individual competency is vital, Richard Lynch, head of global wells, BP, stated in a keynote address at the 2012 IADC Annual General Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., on 8 November. Driving BP’s approach to build competency is a key question

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IADC president announces initiatives to raise global leadership, effectiveness

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International Speakers to Discuss Iraqi Energy Market

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Internationally acclaimed experts from across the oil and gas sector will be addressing the challenges and opportunities in the Iraqi market, at the upcoming Basra Oil & Gas International Exhibition & Conference.

Speakers from Weatherford, Gulf Energy, South Oil Company (SOC) and Penspen will put forward their views on technology, health & safety, laws & regulations, petrochemicals and many other topics related to the conference theme

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New Housing Complex to be Built in Karbala

Karbala Investment Commission has laid the cornerstone for the housing complex in the Zahra neighborhood in Hindiya district, southern Karbala.

The deputy chairman of the Commission, Ahmed al-Maliki, said the project would involve 500 housing units, an elementary school, kindergarten, nursery, markets, public parks and infrastructure services.

It will be built on a 60-acre site at a total cost of IQD 72 billion ($60 million).

(Source: AIN)

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Scania Discusses Modernisation of Iraqi Fleet

Iraq’s Transport Minister, Hadi al-Amiri, has met the Manager Director of the Swedish truck company Scania, Gustav Sandel, to discuss ways to use the company’s expertise in the development of Iraqi ground transportation.

The ministry is reportedly in the process of developing and modernising its transport fleet, particularly road transport and passenger transport.

(Source: NINA)

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Heritage Updates on Kurdistan Operations

Scania Discusses Modernisation of Iraqi Fleet New Housing Complex to be Built in Karbala International Speakers to Discuss Iraqi Energy Market Categorized

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DNO Reports Record Output, Shares Fall

Heritage Updates on Kurdistan Operations Scania Discusses Modernisation of Iraqi Fleet New Housing Complex to be Built in Karbala International Speakers to Discuss Iraqi Energy Market Categorized

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