Category Archives: Offshore

DONG Energy has announced the inauguration of the Gode Wind 1 and 2 offshore wind farms. The wind farms are situated 45 kilometers off the coast of Germany, and construction on the project began in 2015.

The announcement was made earlier this week, with DONG Energy saying that the wind farms with 97 turbines and a total capacity of 582 megawatts are set to produce enough power to supply around 600,000 German households every year. DONG Energy said that it owns half of both Gode Wind 1 and 2.

"The wind turbines at Gode Wind 1 and 2 are already generating clean power off the coast of Norddeich, and our next German offshore wind farm, Borkum Riffgrund 2, is well underway," DONG Energy's Samuel Leupold said in a statement.

"These large-scale projects are testament that offshore wind has become a reliable, predictable and cost effective technology which will contribute significantly to Germany's energy transition."

Europe is something of a world leader when it comes to offshore wind. According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), at the end of 2016 almost 88 percent of all offshore wind installations were in "waters off the coast of ten European countries." The GWEC adds that the U.K. is home to the world's largest offshore wind market, followed by Germany.

"Through technological progress, system services and efficiency, the offshore wind industry has become a driver in the energy industry and focuses on strengthening competitiveness in export, innovation and digitisation," Uwe Beckmeyer, parliamentary state secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said. "A strong home market is a crucial factor in this regard."

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DONG Energy inaugurates two offshore wind farms with total capacity of 582 megawatts - CNBC

The US Sailing 2017 U.S. Offshore Championship for The Lloyd Phoenix Trophy is being sailed in Navy 44s in Annapolis, September 21-24. This is your chance to test your skills against other offshore sailors in a series that will include buoy racing plus a middle distance and a long distance race (weather permitting). The winning team will be named US Offshore Champions.

Each team must consist of a crew of eight: one skipper and six crew members plus one U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman provided from the varsity offshore racing team. A minimum of five of each competitors team must have raced together (including the designated skipper) in at least five regattas scored under IRC, ORC, ORR, PHRF, Offshore One Design, Offshore Level Class Racing or Portsmouth Numbers rating systems in the past 18 months. Up to 9 teams may enter. Teams will be selected based on US Sailing Area and resume (see the US Sailing website for more information) and the U.S. Naval Academy may enter one team for a maximum of ten total entries.

Applications close on July 15 and invitations issued to selected teams the week of July 17th.

Check out information on the US Sailing Championships page here.

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US Sailing Searches for Top Offshore Sailors - Sailing World

In this issue: Progress with automated subsea platforms, extracting Japans methane hydrate reserves, GEs digital rig project, Aberdeens future as a hub for UK oil, Ghanas deepwater potential, an alternative to seismic airguns, and more.

A number of companies are developing competing systems to take the offshore oil and gas platform underwater, with a completely submerged concept that would transform platforms into unmanned, self-sufficient oil and gas extraction factories. The operational and safety benefits of the technology are clear, but who will be the first to make the breakthrough? We check in on the race to the bottom.

We also speak to GE about its plans to improve the cost and operational efficiency of rigs with data analytics, look at Geokinetics AquaVib technology which promises a safer alternative to seismic airguns, and find out about new deepwater facilities being developed for Ghana. Plus, we hear about Aberdeens future role as a hub for the UKs oil industry, and find out about the potential of Japans methane hydrate reserves.

Aberdeens Future Stagnant oil prices and decommissioning in the North Sea have led to concerns about the future of Europes oil capital, Aberdeen. Ross Davies asks whether the citys fortunes can be reversed. Read the article.

Fire and Ice Resource-poor Japan has just begun its second test extraction of methane hydrates, a highly abundant source of natural gas mostly found under the sea. Molly Lempriere asks what the development of this resource could mean for the country. Read the article.

A Safer Alternative? Seismic airguns have proven controversial, with some claiming they may pose risks to marine wildlife. Molly Lempriere takes a look at a potential alternative, the AquaVib Marine Vibrator developed by Geokinetics. Read the article.

Digital Solutions GE and Noble have partnered to develop a Digital Rig, aiming to improve operational efficiency and cut expenditure by 20% with the help of data analytics. Patrick Kingsland finds out more from Andrew McKeran, marine executive at GEs Marine Solutions division. Read the article.

The Race to Bottom Competing systems are in development for completely submerged, unmanned oil and gas platforms. Patrick Kingsland asks Bjrn Rasch, head of subsea power at Siemens, who will get there first. Read the article.

A Growth Story GE Oil & Gas has expanded its presence in Ghana with a new facility at Takoradi Port, as well as a commitment to providing training for Ghanaian personnel. Abi Millar finds out more from Ado Oseragbaje, GEs president and CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa. Read the article.

BP and Totals deepwater drilling project near the Amazon Reef have suffered a setback after a regional agency recommended the suspension of environmental licensing, which could force the companies to start a new environmental impact assessment. We take a look at the projects potential and its impact on the surrounding coastline.

We also check in on the findings of the Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology Joint Industry Programme, and find out why the US Government is reviewing the Well Control Rule, which tightened requirements for blowout preventers as a result of failures during the BP disaster.

Plus, hear from BP about skills and recruitment, check in on Shells progress with decommissioning the Brent Field, and speak to the developers of a new type of safety clothing designed to better protect offshore workers during emergencies such as helicopter accidents.

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Offshore Technology Focus: Issue 56 - Offshore Technology

PUBLISHED: 13:50 29 June 2017

Sarah Chambers

A Siemens 7MW wind turbines, of the kind to be installed as part of the East Anglia One offshore wind farm project.

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Industry analyst Barbour ABI points to regeneration and infrastructure projects such as East Anglia ONE as one of the reasons for a shift in construction hotspots away from London and the South East and towards other parts of the country.

Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, said the government focus on raising the levels of major infrastructure projects, in particular public sector schemes such as offshore wind farms, energy plants and motorway upgrades, have considerably boosted construction value in more rural regions.

Barbour ABI, in its Regional Construction Hotspots in Great Britain 2017 report, lists the scheme at the top of 10 infrastructure projects for the region at 1.8bn. Also on the list, is the Galloper offshore wind farm (750m) and Bury St Edmunds Eastern Relief Road (15m). Among big residential schemes listed are a 48m 380 home scheme at Weeley, near Clacton-on Sea, and a 30m 234 home development planned for Union Road, Onehouse, Stowmarket.

Charlie Jordan, project director for ScottishPower Renewables East Anglia ONE wind farm, said they were pleased with the recognition. We see the potential for East Anglia to become a world leader in offshore wind. We have already started pre-construction works for the 2.5bn East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm providing huge local investment, job creation, and training opportunities, he said.

An example of this investment is our contract with the Port of Lowestoft, which will be the operations and maintenance hub for the 30 year life span of East Anglia ONE, an agreement worth 25m. We have also co-invested 5m in preparing Great Yarmouth Port for offshore wind farm construction activity, securing its long-term potential.

We have also engaged with a record number of local businesses through our supply chain events to highlight the diverse range of opportunities that East Anglia ONE and our future projects offer the region.

East Anglia ONE is the first of four large scale offshore wind projects we are planning to build off the coast of Suffolk and Norfolk, which will deliver economic benefits to the region for decades to come.

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Region poised to become world leader in offshore wind as East Anglia ONE makes it a new 'construction hotspot' - Ipswich Star

Bernard Madoff arrives at Manhattan Federal court on March 12, 2009 in New York City.

Two groups of offshore funds that invested in Bernard Madoffs fraudulent securities firm agreed to pay a combined $370 million to resolve lawsuits by the court-appointed trustee raising cash for victims.

Lagoon Investment Ltd. and related funds will hand over about $240 million while Thema Fund Ltd. and its affiliates will pay about $130 million, trustee Irving Picard said in a statement Tuesday. Details of the settlements were filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, where the suits were filed in 2010.

The deals were struck just one day after the estates of Madoffs dead sons, Andrew and Mark, agreed to pay a total of $23 million to settle lawsuits by the trustee accusing them of profiting from the scam for years. The trustee has so far raised more than $11.6 billion for victims through hundreds of lawsuits against funds and customers who profited from the scam.

Stephen Harbeck, chief executive officer of the industry-financed Securities Investor Protection Corp., which hired Picard, called the settlements "significant accomplishments" given the difficulty of recovering funds from offshore accounts, according to the statement.

Lagoon, which is based in the British Virgin Islands, and Thema, with headquarters in Bermuda, were among many feeder funds that directed cash to Madoffs New York-based investment-advisory business, often without their customers knowledge.

Thousands of Madoff customers lost $17.5 billion in principal when his Ponzi scheme collapsed in December 2008. Thema alone lost about $1 billion.

Under the accord, Thema and Lagoon will turn over all the money they withdrew from their accounts in the six-year period prior to Madoffs arrest. The settlement clears the way for the funds to get approved claims in the bankruptcy case, meaning theyll get a share in Picards recoveries and distribute the money to their own customers.

A hearing on the deal is scheduled for July 26.

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Thema and Lagoon were among a dozen funds that used HSBC Holdings Plc as custodian. Picard in 2010 sued the London-based bank for $9 billion for allegedly aiding Madoffs fraudthrough the network of feeder funds. The trustee lost that suit as well as his cases against other banks with similar connections to Madoff on the grounds that trustees can only collect money owed to the estate, not sums owed to creditors.

Madoff, 79, pleaded guilty in 2009 and was sentenced to 150 years in prison. At the time his Ponzi scheme fell apart, customer statements reflected more than $40 billion in imaginary profit from fake investments. Five of Madoffs top aides were convicted after a trial in 2014.

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Madoff Trustee Fetches $370 Million After Two Offshore Funds Settle - Bloomberg

SHANGHAI, June 28 China's state-owned Agricultural Development Bank of China plans to issue yuan bonds to both onshore and offshore investors on July 3, coinciding with the country's launch of a "Bond Connect" scheme to link its nearly $10 trillion bond market with overseas investors.

The Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC), one of China's major policy lenders, announced the plan to issue 16 billion yuan ($2.35 billion) worth of fixed-rate bonds in Beijing late Tuesday on the website of the state-owned clearing house.

These bonds would mark the country's first round of policy bank bonds issued specifically for offshore investors, with the planned issuance coming against the backdrop of the imminent launch of the long-awaited Bond Connect scheme.

While regulators have not said when the programme will begin, it is expected to be announced and launched to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule on July 1.

In its statement, ADBC said that it would issue up to 5 billion yuan each of one-year, three-year and five-year notes in the first round of tender targeting both onshore and offshore investors, and up to an additional 500 million yuan each of one-year and three-year notes in a second round for offshore investors only.

The one-, three- and five-year notes will yield 3.61 percent, 3.98 percent and 4.13 percent, respectively.

All bonds will be listed on the China Interbank Bond Market, and the proceeds will be lent to agriculture, farmers and rural areas, the statement said.

Policy bank bonds issued by China's three policy banks - ADBC, China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China - are viewed as sovereign credit.

($1 = 6.8015 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Andrew Galbraith; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

PARIS A global cyber attack has hit the property arm of France's biggest bank BNP Paribas , one of the largest financial institutions known to be affected by an extortion campaign that started in Russia and Ukraine before spreading.

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland Rival Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders opened talks on Wednesday aimed at reuniting the divided island after more than 40 years, but need to overcome prickly issues in what some fear could be the last chance.

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China policy bank announces bond for offshore investors ahead of Bond Connect - Reuters

The US Sailing 2017 U.S. Offshore Championship for The Lloyd Phoenix Trophy is being sailed in Navy 44s in Annapolis, September 21-24. Competing teams from across the USA will be tested in buoy racing, a middle distance and a long distance race (weather permitting).

Each team must consist of a crew of eight: one skipper and six crew members plus one U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman provided from the varsity offshore racing team. A minimum of five members of each competitors team must have raced together (including the designated skipper) in at least five regattas in ORC, PHRF, Offshore One Design, Offshore Level Class Racing or Portsmouth Numbers rating systems in the past 18 months. Up to 9 teams may enter.

Teams will be selected based on US Sailing Area and resume (see the US Sailing website for more information) and the U.S. Naval Academy may enter one team for a maximum of ten total entries. Applications close on July 15 and invitations issued to selected teams the week of July 17th.

Details at http://www.ussailing.org/racing/championships/adult/offshorechamps/

Originally posted here:

US Sailing in Search of a Few Good Offshore Teams - Scuttlebutt Sailing News

Summer is just getting started, and millions already are enjoying the beach. The AAA estimated that 39.3 million people hit the road over the Memorial Day holiday, making it one of the busiest travel weekends on record. For many, the journey ended with a blanket on the sand and waves lapping on the shore.

Beaches are the workhorse engines that drive our coastal economies. From Maine to Hawaii, beaches attract an endless stream of visitors who patronize local hotels, shops, and restaurants, contributing over $100 billion to our GDP every year.

However, our nations coasts are now under grave threat. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has announced plans to expand offshore drilling, eliminate beach water quality grants, and reverse climate change policies. These proposals will cause permanent damage to our nations magnificent coasts if we dont hold our federal leaders accountable.

On April 28, President Trump signed an executive order to expand offshore oil drilling in U.S. waters. The order directs the Department of the Interior to develop a new five-year oil- and gas-leasing program, putting the Atlantic coast, the Pacific coast, Floridas Gulf Coast, and the Arctic Ocean at risk of new oil rigs.

Offshore oil drilling is a dirty and destructive industry that pollutes the ocean, destroys beaches and puts coastal economies at risk. The 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the more recent 2015 spill in Santa Barbara, California, both did major damage to beaches and the tourism industry in those areas, previewing what is to come if we allow more drilling to take place.

Coastal communities and businesses are fighting back. On the Atlantic coast a region at the top of the administrations wish list for new drilling over 120 municipalities, 1,200 elected officials, and an alliance representing 35,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families have publicly opposed offshore drilling.

The oil and gas industry is eager to turn a profit at the expense of our coasts, but the oil lobby cant control the voices of the citizens. People are speaking out, and their members of Congress are listening. Over 100 House Democrats and Republicans recently signed a letter urging Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke not to allow any new offshore oil and gas drilling.

The communities and citizens who depend on clean coastlines must continue to demand that our government protect them.

Our beaches are also under threat from pollution. The health of millions of beachgoers depends on safe water quality along the coasts. EPA water quality monitoring tells us when its safe to go in the water resulting in over 20,000 beach closures and advisories issued each year. Yet, President Trumps budget proposal for 2018 eliminates all funding for the EPA BEACH Grants program, which supports water quality monitoring at popular beaches across the U.S.

Funding for the BEACH Grants program is critical to providing beachgoers with the information they need to avoid getting sick at the beach. The program helps states pay for testing and public notification programs, and often spurs local solutions to pollution problems. If beaches are contaminated and unsafe, it will not only take away a beloved American pastime, but coastal tourism and recreation economies that provide 2.15 million jobs nationwide will suffer.

With the administrations lack of support for the BEACH Grants program, we must rely on Congress to provide the necessary leadership to protect clean water and public health. A day at the beach should not make you and your family sick.

The inspiring pull of the beach has endured for generations, but we must act now to protect it for the future.

Pete Stauffer is environmental director at the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit focused on clean water and coastal preservation headquartered in San Clemente, Calif., with local chapters across the country, including Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

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Offshore oil poses threat to booming coastal economies - Charleston Post Courier

AmericanHort, Society of American Florists and the USDA are collaborating on the program.

WASHINGTON, DC - AmericanHort and the Society of American Florists are collaborating with U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to initiate an offshore certification program for unrooted plant cuttings. A six-month pilot program is expected to be launched on Oct. 1, according to a press release, and will include growing operations in six Latin American countries.

Each year, the United States imports more than 1 billion unrooted cuttings of mostly annual and perennial plant varieties. This is an important supply chain for U.S. rooting stations and finished-plant growers. Nearly half of all plants sold in U.S. retail stores start from cuttings produced offshore. The high volume of these imports, most of which enter between December and March, presents staffing challenges for APHIS and Customs and Border Protection as they inspect for plant pests and diseases.

We believe that these unrooted cuttings generally present a low risk of harboring pests and pathogens of regulatory concern. Because of their high perishability, expediting port clearance would help to ensure vitality and benefit offshore production facilities, rooting stations, and finished plant growers.

Beginning in Oct. 2017, APHIS is expected to launch a six-month greenhouse certification pilot program. The pilot will include greenhouse facilities in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Colombia that produce generally admissible, unrooted vegetative cuttings for import into the United States. The pilot is being designed to determine whether greenhouse certification could effectively mitigate at origin regulated pest and disease risks associated with plant cuttings produced in approved facilities.

For the duration of the pilot, facilities must adhere to the requirements outlined in the draft pilot framework. The framework includes standard plant pest exclusion procedures, sanitation and traceability protocols, a summary of the greenhouse certification process, an explanation of how shipments will be handled at U.S. ports of entry, and expected next steps after the pilots conclusion in March, 2018.

Four companies Ball Horticultural Co., Dmmen-Orange, Proven Winners, and Syngenta Flowers will participate in the initial pilot. The four companies and the associations have participated in a working group process with APHIS for over a year to develop the pilot program framework. During the pilot, offshore-produced cuttings from these companies farms will be subject to the same inspection process as cuttings from other sources. The expectation is that a successful pilot will result in reduced inspections and expedited entry procedures thereafter. If successful, the program is expected to be opened to additional countries and producers.

APHIS has made the pilot framework available for public review and comment until July 20, 2017. To submit comments or obtain additional information, contact Kelsey Branch, APHIS Foreign Inspection and Certification Coordinator, at Kelsey.Branch@aphis.usda.gov. Questions to the associations may be addressed to Craig Regelbrugge (AmericanHort), CraigR@AmericanHort.org; or, Drew Gruenburg (Society of American Florists), DGruenburg@SafNow.org.

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New offshore cutting pilot program launching in October - Greenhouse Management

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft said on Sunday it had found its first oil field in the Laptev Sea in the eastern Arctic, making a breakthrough in the search for hydrocarbons in the harsh and far-flung region despite Western sanctions.

Rosneft and its partners plan to invest 480 billion roubles ($8.4 billion) in developing Russia's offshore energy industry in the next five years, part of a drive to boost output from new areas.

The company has sought tie-ups with several global oil players to develop Russia's offshore regions. But a deal to work in the Kara Sea in the western Arctic with U.S. company Exxon Mobil was suspended in 2014 after the imposition of Western sanctions against Moscow.

"The result of the drilling at the Khatanga licence block allows Rosneft to be considered the discoverer of [oil] fields in offshore Eastern Arctic," the company said in a statement.

Most Russian oil output comes from western Siberia, where fields are depleting, pushing producers to look for new regions. Sanctions complicate the process, barring Western companies from helping with Arctic offshore, deepwater and shale oil projects.

The Arctic offshore area is expected to account for between 20% and 30% of Russian production, one of the world's largest, by 2050.

Rosneft owns 28 blocks in the Arctic offshore area with combined estimated resources of 34 billion tonnes of oil equivalent.

There is only one offshore platform in the Russian Arctic, Prirazlomnoye, operated by Gazprom Neft, which plans to produce 2.6 million tonnes (52,000 bpd) this year.

Analysts say oil production in the region - apart from Prirazlomnoye - is years away and may start only in the mid-2020s.

Rosneft has been working in the Laptev Sea since 2014. It values the hydrocarbon resources of the sea at around 9.5 billion tonnes of oil equivalent.

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Rosneft finds first oil field offshore eastern Arctic - WorldOil (subscription)