Category Archives: Offshore

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff

Jim Sessions, Baker Hughes vice president for completions, introduces the company's deep-water multistage fracturing service, DeepFrac, on Monday at the Offshore Technology Conference.

Jim Sessions, Baker Hughes vice president for completions, introduces the company's deep-water multistage fracturing service, DeepFrac, on Monday at the Offshore Technology Conference.

Baker Hughes taking shale techniques offshore

Baker Hughes is moving the process that launched the shale revolution to the deep ocean waters with its new "DeepFrac" technology.

The hydraulic fracturing product unveiled Monday at the Offshore Technology Conference at NRG Park is intended to produce more oil in increasingly concentrated areas while using less time and money.

Although oil companies have used variations of fracking for offshore production for several years, Baker Hughes is following the onshore trend of using more and more frac jobs with less spacing in between. Fracking and horizontal drilling combined to spur the onshore oil and gas boom of the last 10 years or so.

While the new DeepFrac technology won't suddenly make all of the struggling offshore sector profitable again, said Jim Sessions, Baker Hughes vice president for completions, it could increase the efficiency of production and lower costs. "It's a significant step along the way," he said.

Fracking is a laborious, multistep process that involves blasting sand or small metallic balls along with water and chemicals to unlock oil and gas. DeepFrac eliminates many of those steps, Sessions said. It uses movable tube-shaped sleevesto control the flow of oil, eliminating the need for some extra piping and cementing in wells.

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Sessions described the technology as a "ball-activated DeepFrac sleeve." Baker Hughes said the device will provide "unprecedented efficiency gains."

DeepFrac will allow companies to frac up to 20 stages - up from just five, in some cases - and cut certain well completion steps from weeks to days, the company said. A stage is a slightly different location that is fracked in a well, and increasing the number of areas for fracking can increase production.

Sessions said a recent 15-stage frac job completed in 11 days in the Gulf of Mexico saved $40 million and about 25 days versus a conventional three-stage process.

There are pros and cons to each approach, said Andrew Hasemann, a sales manager at rival Halliburton.

"We can't do as many stages but theirs are smaller," Hasemann said.

Halliburton routinely performs five-stage frac jobs in deepwater environments. It may take a little longer with fewer stages, but Halliburton can produce more oil and gas overall with more control in more targeted areas, Hasemann said.

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Baker Hughes taking shale techniques offshore - Houston Chronicle

Malta's prime minister Joseph Muscat has called a snap election for 3 June following allegations his wife owns an offshore firm in Panama.

The vote will take place during Malta's EU presidency, which ends on 30 June.

The Labour leader told a crowd in Valletta on Monday (1 May) that the accusations against him and his family were baseless.

"Everybody knows about the attacks made in the past few days on me and my family. I have nothing to fear because truth is on my side and I am clean," he said.

The scandal erupted after Maltese blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia claimed Muscat's wife Michelle held shares in Egrant Inc, a firm named in last year's massive data leak from Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm.

While it is not illegal to hold an offshore account, it can be used to hide assets from tax authorities.

Such revelations have already seen Iceland's prime minister resign from office.

Nationalist Party (PN) leader Simon Busuttil has said Muscat must also step down.

The leaked cache of papers did not show the owners of Egrant, but instead revealed links to a Malta-based auditing firm Nexia BT.

An inquiry in Malta has since been launched to find evidence tying Egrant with the prime minister and his wife.

Muscat told Maltese media that he would step down from office if the inquiry revealed any ties.

"I am confident the inquiry will not find anything, because I know there is nothing to find," he said.

Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri and Labour minister Konrad Mizzi held shares in other firms also managed by Mossack Fonseca through Nexia BT.

Both Schembri and Mizzi had set up the secret companies after they took office in March 2013. The two at the time had also been negotiating an energy deal with Azerbaijan.

Galizia in her blog said large sums of money had been moved between bank accounts in Azerbaijan and accounts held by Egrant Inc. and the offshore firms belonging to Schembri and Mizzi.

The shady dealings sparked large demonstrations in Malta last week with thousands reportedly taking to the streets against corruption.

A delegation of MEPs from the parliament's Panama tax inquiry committee had visited Malta earlier this year.

Schembri, along with the Nexia BT accountants who set up the offshore accounts, refused to meet them.

Far-left Portuguese MEP Miguel Viegas, who was among the deputies in the delegation, said at the time that the Panama revelations had raised serious questions about ties between Malta's political class and money-laundering.

"Members of both the conservatives and the social democrats in Malta have serious questions to answer relating to their involvement in money-laundering and tax evasion as exposed in the Panama Papers," he said.

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Malta PM calls snap election over offshore scandal - EUobserver

Under Irish tax law a person who is tax resident here but not domiciled in Ireland pays tax only on their earnings here and on any assets they buy and sell in this country

Im working in Dublin for the last year while my husband (who was working here earlier) is currently living and employed in India. While we dont have any deposit or significant income in bank accounts in India, we have a couple of properties in India in joint names. One is rented out and the rental income from that is being used to pay the loan on the other home (where my husband stays).

Also any money we transferred from here to India has been used to pay the home loan/mortgage. What do I have to declare in relation to these offshore assets.

Ms N.D., Dublin

With yesterdays deadline for voluntary declarations ahead of Revenues promised clampdown on undeclared offshore assets and income, the Q&A postbag has been weighed down by queries from people like yourself struggling to make sense of the rules and their obligations.

The good news for you is that you have nothing to worry about.

In general, income from a jointly owned property would be split evenly between the owners. On that basis half of the rental income on the second property in India would be attributable to you.

You appear to be tax resident in Ireland in that you have spent the whole of the past year here. That might lead someone to think that you would have a tax liability here.

However, you are Indian and born in that country. Your husband lives and works there, and the only properties you own are there. In effect, India is the country that you might call home if you were asked. The importance of this is that, for tax purposes, the somewhat arcane concept of domicile comes into play.

Essentially, for most people their country of domicile is the place of their birth even if they later travel abroad. You can change domicile and people like refugees fleeing political oppression might take the domicile of their new home country. But most people dont. I know people who have spent their entire working life in the UK but still consider Ireland their home.

For you, a reasonable interpretation is that India is your domicile. Under Irish tax law a person who is tax resident here but not domiciled in Ireland pays tax only on their earnings here and on any assets they buy and sell in this country like property. In addition, they are liable for tax on any other money they bring into the State.

As the rental income from your familys investment property is staying in India and is being used to meet the cost of financing your home there, you are not liable to tax in Ireland on that money and you have no need to notify the Irish Revenue about it.

As an offshore asset it becomes of interest to Irish Revenue only when you either:

Bring the rental income into Ireland, or sell the property and bring some of the proceeds into Ireland, or;

You decide you are moving permanently to Ireland and that it is the country you would consider home. At that point your domicile could change and that might have tax issues for you. It would be something to consider carefully if that particular situation arose as domicile is a very nebulous concept, even legally.

The important thing for now is that you have nothing to worry about.

Send your queries to Dominic Coyle, Q&A, The Irish Times, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, or by email to dcoyle@irishtimes.com. This column is a reader service and is not intended to replace professional advice.

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Indian rental income and the offshore assets clampdown - Irish Times

MOREHEAD CITY Local environmental advocates hosted a rally Saturday in response to President Donald Trumps executive order that may lead to re-opening the Atlantic coast to offshore oil and gas exploration.

By 10 a.m., about 50 people had come to the rally at the Morehead City public boat ramp on Shepherd Street, hosted by the Crystal Coast Waterkeeper and The Croatan Group of the Sierra Club, and more arrived before the end. Several speakers representing the local scientific community, as well as one from the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce, addressed the crowd, talking about the risks of offshore drilling, the alternatives to fossil fuels and encouraging action on the part of Carteret County residents and others.

The rally was organized in response to early reports that President Trump was expected to sign an executive order Friday, which he did. The Associated Press reported the order reverses some of former President Barack Obamas restrictions on oil and natural gas drilling, as well as instructs U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review the five-year offshore leasing plan, which dictates which federal locations are open to offshore drilling.

Michael Murdoch, chairman of The Croatan Group, said The Sierra Club has been involved in the no drill campaign for many years.

President Trumps executive order yesterday spurred everyone to realize weve got (natural) resources here that are at risk, he said. We want to unite people and help them realize our real resources are in our ocean, fisheries, beaches and tourism; not outdated energy sources. Theres no oil-based technology that doesnt have severe environmental impacts. Were strongly saying no, we dont want this to happen.

Larry Baldwin, Crystal Coast Waterkeeper, said they held the rally to coincide with climate marches that are being held around the U.S., including in Washington, D.C.

Its important we keep the issues of oil drilling and seismic blasting together, he said. Seismic surveys are used to search for oil and gas deposits without exploratory drilling. However, environmentalists have spoken at numerous public meetings, expressing concern that the seismic blasts used in these surveys may impact the marine environment, particularly by injuring or driving away marine wildlife.

The public needs to understand whats happening again, Mr. Baldwin said. Our hope for today is to educate people and get them to start standing up. This water belongs to the people, and we dont want oil drilling and seismic blasting off our coast. We need to stand together to avoid a catastrophic series of events.

Dr. Doug Nowacek, Duke University Marine Lab associate professor of conservation technology, said offshore oil drilling relies heavily on seismic surveying.

When they (seismic surveys) start out, theyre very broad scale, he said, then they hone in on resources. After they find something theyll do follow-up surveys every three to five years.

Dr. Nowacek said that over the last few years, marine scientists have discovered sound is a very important factor in how fish locate their preferred habitats.

To me, we know plenty to take to the (regulatory) agencies and say this really needs to be a calculated thing, if its going to happen at all, he said.

Dr. Pete Peterson, UNC Institute of Marine Sciences professor of coastal habitat valuation and restoration. spoke about his observations both working on evaluating the impacts of the major oil spills in the U.S. and in evaluating the suitability of the North Carolina coast for offshore wind energy development.

If you think of Alaska and energy, you think of oil, Dr. Peterson said. I often say North Carolina is to wind what Alaska is to oil what were doing here is saying well trade the traditional energy for this new kind. Wind power is very competitive. It saves the environment, our pocketbook and makes us feel good about what we do. The risks can be managed. Ive worked on all the major oil spills in the U.S. they have impacts that are still ongoing.

Tom Keis, president of the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce, spoke on his position on how offshore drilling may impact the coast. He said hes also vice-chair of the Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast, an organization that represents businesses that support protecting the coastal environment here.

Mr. Keis read from letters sent by BAPAC to elected officials, expressing the alliances opposition to offshore oil and gas exploration.

Our organization has gone to Washington (D.C.) twice (to lobby against offshore drilling), he said. We will be going back again.

Among those who attended the rally was Ron Gerhart of Pine Knoll Shores. Mr. Gerhart said his takeaway from the rally was the risk of an oil spill would affect 95 percent of people in the local area, while the upside of drilling would only benefit 5 percent, most of them the stockholders.

If they (drilling supporters) are hiding behind drilling to generate more jobs, its just not going to happen, he said.

Katharine Guthrie of Otway also attended the rally. She said she wished more people had shown up, but she was glad those who came did.

I dont think they should do it (drill or seismic survey) here in the waters where people work and live, she said.

Contact Mike Shutak at 252-726-7081 ext. 206, email mike@thenewstimes.com; or follow on Twitter at @mikesccnt.

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Locals rally against offshore oil drilling - Carolinacoastonline

President Trumpissued an executive orderon Friday directing the Departments of Interior and Commerce to encourage energy innovation, exploration, and production in U.S. offshore areas including the Arctic outer continental shelf. As appropriate, and to the maximum extent permitted by law, the departments are to consider accelerating offshore oil and gas lease sales, streamline permitting for privately-funded research on offshore energy resources, refrain from designating or expanding marine sanctuary areas absent full accounting of potential energy resources, and suspend, revise, or rescind several Obama administration policies restricting offshore energy development.

The E.O. begins by making the case that offshore energy development is a critical U.S. national interest:

Increased domestic energy production on Federal lands and waters strengthens the Nations security and reduces reliance on imported energy. Moreover, low energy prices, driven by an increased American energy supply, willbenefit American families and help reinvigorate American manufacturing and job growth. Finally, because the Department of Defense is one of the largest consumers of energy in the UnitedStates, domestic energy production also improves our Nation's military readiness.

At a White House press conference, President Trump explained the difference between his offshore energy agenda and that of his predecessor:

This is a great day for American workers and families, and today were unleashing American energy and clearing the way for thousands and thousands of high-paying American energy jobs.Our country is blessed with incredible natural resources, including abundant offshore oil and natural gas reserves.But the federal government has kept 94 percent of these offshore areas closed for exploration and production.And when they say closed, they mean closed.

This deprives our country of potentially thousands and thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in wealth.I pledged to take action, and today I am keeping that promise.

This executive order starts the process of opening offshore areas to job-creating energy exploration.It reverses the previous administrations Arctic leasing ban.So hear that:It reverses the previous administrations Arctic leasing ban, and directs Secretary Zinke to allow responsible development of offshore areas that will bring revenue to our Treasury and jobs to our workers.(Applause.) In addition, Secretary Zinke will be reconsidering burdensome regulations that slow job creation.

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Trump Issues Executive Order on 'America-First Offshore Energy Strategy' - Competitive Enterprise Institute (blog)

In the years since 1959, 7,367 offshore fields have been discovered globally, with 4,173 of these having been brought onstream (3,062 are still active). The average water depth of discoveries and start-ups is now far deeper than a few decades ago. But contrary to what might be expected, this appears to be not the result of gradual trends in E&P activity. Instead, deepwater activity has surged in distinct waves

Shallow Water Drift

Offshore E&P activity began, quite naturally, in shallow waters close to shore, as a logical progression from exploiting onshore oil and gas fields in locations such as Texas and Saudi Arabia. This also reflected technological barriers: the capability did not exist to exploit deepwater fields. So from 1960 to 1996, the annual average water depth of offshore discoveries and start-ups was 94m and 59m respectively. Depths did drift slightly deeper from 1960 to 1996 as for example North Sea E&P activity moved from the Southern to the Central North Sea. But even in 1996, the mean offshore discovery water depth was just 212m. The first ever deepwater discovery was the MC 113 field in the US GoM in 1976 but this was atypical: just 4% of 3,062 offshore fields found from 1976 to 1996 were in such depths.

Deepwater Heave

The first wave of sustained deepwater E&P ran from about 1997 to 2006. It was heralded by the 1997 Neptune start-up in the US GoM in a water depth of 568m. This was the first ever Spar development and showed that US deepwater fields could be economically exploited, contributing to a rush of deepwater E&P in the GoM against a backdrop of faltering US onshore oil production growth and gradually rising oil prices. Some 440 fields in depths of at least 500m were found from 1996 to 2007; 38% of these were in the US GoM. This period also saw the internationalisation of the offshore sector, with oil companies making deepwater finds in areas like West Africa, which accounted for 26% of the 440 discoveries. Here the key enablers were subsea trees, which helped reduce field breakevens to viable levels. All told, the average depth of offshore finds from 1997 to 2006 was 402m.

Ultra-Deepwater Upsurge

A second wave of deepwater E&P has been ongoing since about 2007. Oil companies have pushed into ultra-deepwater frontiers, notably in the Santos Basin off Brazil, helped by advances in pre-salt seismic imaging, but also in the KG Basin off India, off East Africa and off countries such as Guyana or Senegal. Since 2006, with oil prices generally high, there have been 392 finds in water depths of at least 1,500m (67% of such discoveries made to date). The average water depth of discoveries in this period so far is 628m.

Ebb And Flow?

However, offshore start-ups have lagged in terms of water depth. Since 2006, the average depth of 1,032 start-ups has been just 326m (with large variance from the mean). Several factors are at play but key are high breakeven oil prices at frontier projects (especially in the downturn) inhibiting FIDs, and political risk factors.

So given current offshore markets and long term trends in start-up water depths, a tsunami of deepwater start-ups looks unlikely at present. That being said, field discovery water depths lifted on tides of regionalised E&P activity and new technologies have clearly risen in waves. Source: Clarksons

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Riding The Waves: Offshore Field Water Depth Trends - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Migrating whales, legal disputes with fishermen, political change and the migration routes of endangered North Atlantic right whales are among the challenges facing offshore wind developers. But there are encouraging signs.

NEW BEDFORD Amid all of the challenges that could face offshore wind power along the East Coast legal disputes from commercial fishing advocates, construction plans altered by whale migrations, President Donald Trumps emphasis on revitalizing fossil fuels and more some promising news for renewable industry supporters arrived in mid-March.

Thats when a telling indication of how offshore wind power might fare under President Trump was delivered, after an uncertain, wait-and-see winter. Following months of silence about offshore wind, a statement by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke gave an early glimpse of the administrations tone.

The newly minted secretary spoke March 16 about that days auction of wind power leases in federal ocean waters off North Carolina.

The success of this lease sale reflects the continued interest of coastal communities to develop their offshore energy resources," Zinke said in a prepared statement from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which held the auction.

"Renewable energy, like offshore wind, is one tool in the all of the above energy toolbox that will help power America with domestic energy, securing energy independence, and bolstering the economy, Zinke added. This is a big win for collaborative efforts with state, local, and private sector partners.

The North Carolina auction was the countrys seventh but the first under Trump and it drew a winning bid of nearly $9.1 million from Avangrid Renewables. The Oregon-based company won the right to develop wind turbines on more than 122,000 acres of ocean waters off Kitty Hawk, N.C. Three other power companies took part in the auction, energy officials said.

Zinkes statement was encouraging for many, including Catherine Bowes, the National Wildlife Federations senior manager of climate and energy for the Northeast.

That was a very strong quote, Bowes told The Standard-Times. That was (Secretary Zinkes) first public statement on offshore wind. It means game on, I think.

GAME ON IS GOOD NEWS

A game on mentality for offshore wind development under Trump would be music to the ears of industry backers, who saw strong momentum build last summer, in the closing months of the Obama administration. Whether that momentum will continue has been an open question under Trump, who approved the long-controversial Keystone oil pipeline earlier this year and has expressed support for revitalizing the struggling coal industry, while placing less emphasis on renewable energies.

An executive order that Trump signed March 28, for example, called for a review of Obamas Clean Power Plan and rolled back several of Obamas climate change regulations, particularly those affecting the coal industry.

State Rep. Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset) countered, though, that while the executive order could indicate a reduced nationwide focus on offshore wind leases in the long term, Massachusetts is not going back to coal and the states push for renewable power already is clear.

I dont know that anything (President Trump) does will change the decisions weve made in the state of Massachusetts on where were headed, Haddad said in late March.

Haddad and several offshore wind backers have told The Standard-Times in recent months that Massachusetts new energy law; the millions of dollars already invested by turbine developers; and the industrys potential for economic development all point toward a booming launch in months and years to come no matter who is in the White House.

We know that every new administrations primary goal is jobs and economic growth. Offshore wind is primed to be a new, domestic industry in the U.S., generating skilled jobs in construction while also supporting domestic manufacturing as the industrys supply chain matures, said Thomas Brostrm, North America general manager for DONG Energy.

The Danish energy giant is seeking to develop its Bay State Wind turbine project south of Marthas Vineyard.

We look forward to learning more about this administrations plans for offshore wind, Brostrm added. Additionally, we were encouraged to see Sec. Zinkes recent comments, in which he noted that he considers offshore wind as a part of the all of the above energy strategy for the country.

The offshore wind industry has been mature for more than two decades in much of northern Europe, but remains an infant in the U.S.

GETTING OUR FEET WET

Deepwater Winds five-turbine pilot project off Block Island, R.I., began the generation of offshore wind power in the U.S. late last year, when blades began spinning just off the islands shores. Deepwater Wind developed the 30-megawatt project at a cost of about $290 million, according to BOEM.

Offshore wind is arriving at a crucial time for states including Massachusetts, where the looming closure of Brayton Point and other power plants could strain capacity.

With coming shortfalls in mind, the energy bill that Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed last August requires utilities to buy contracts for at least 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind power between 2017 and 2027. Weeks after that bill-signing, federal officials including Zinkes predecessor former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visited a turbine blade-testing facility in Charlestown to formally launch the nations offshore wind plan.

And most importantly for New Bedford, representatives of all three offshore wind companies seeking to develop turbines south of Marthas Vineyard visited the city in September and signed a letter of intent to stage operations at the Marine Commerce Terminal on New Bedfords southern shoreline.

The $113 million, state-funded facility is managed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and is poised to become a hub for the offshore wind industry should that industry weather some storms that could lay ahead.

Those storms could include disputes with commercial fishermen affected by turbine construction off Massachusetts, New York and elsewhere; and impacts to marine life such as the endangered North Atlantic right whale, which migrates up and down the East Coast.

Other uncertainties, related to the Trump administration, include whether state or federal governments will incentivize the industry with renewable energy tax credits. Bowes said thats not a new question, though, as offshore wind developers planning billion-dollar projects have never been able to plan on government aid, and been able to move forward without it up and down the coast.

Brostrm brushed off those concerns, as well.

There are a few bills being proposed at the federal level that relate to wind energy tax credits, which we support however, we will proceed with our projects with or without tax credits, he said in late March.

As an industry that's still fairly young, but already showing tremendous potential, we think it's an area that the federal government will see great return from supporting.

REELING IN FISHERMEN

Another result of offshore winds momentum late last year was the hiring of longtime New Bedford fisherman and industry advocate Jim Kendall as the fisheries representative for Vineyard Wind (formerly OffshoreMW). The company is seeking to build its Vineyard Wind project south of the islands, and Kendall spent much of his winter talking to local fishermen and other ocean users.

The major concern, of course, is the loss of prime fishing grounds, in a lot of cases, Kendall said. South of Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket is a major concern for the squid industry, for one, and the herring industry might have a problem.

Kendall, also executive director of New Bedford Seafood Consulting, is a former scalloper with more than 50 years of experience in the industry.

He said the regional squid fishery extends south of Marthas Vineyard all the way to New York, where offshore wind developers could face legal challenges from fishing industry advocates.

That area theyre talking about off of New York is of particular concern to the scallop industry, as well as the squid, Kendall said. Thats a huge resource of scallops down there.

The Fisheries Survival Fund, which represents much of the Atlantic scallop industry, was the lead plaintiff in a suit filed in December against BOEM and Jewell. The suit came days after Statoil Wind U.S. bid more than $42 million in a BOEM auction, winning the rights to develop up to nearly 200 turbines in ocean waters about 11 miles south of Long Island.

Closer to home, Kendall said many commercial fishermen routinely pass through areas around Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket that could be affected by turbine construction and placement.

If we dont find a way to allow for a straight course, it could be like a slalom course to avoid these towers, Kendall said. (OffshoreMW) has already asked me if I could show them more or less what the route could be.

BOEM is requiring offshore wind developers to have both a fisheries representative, who speaks for the fishing industry, and a fisheries liaison, who speaks for the wind power company.

All three wind power companies seeking to build south of the Vineyard have long since began surveying in their leased waters. Kendall said some fishermen may have to find new areas for their fixed gear as turbine development progresses and more users share the same waters.

We did have one gear interaction during (Vineyard Wind) survey work, that we were able to bring to a good ending conclusion, Kendall said. We were able to help the fisherman retrieve his gear.

Kendall said a streamer pulled by a survey vessel caught a rising line from lobster gear, and accidentally towed the gear away from where it had been set.

Kendall said he contacted the gears owner and told him about the snag.

He apparently found his gear, because he never came back to me with any kind of complaint, Kendall said. Thats the way these things hopefully will work.

PROTECTING WILDLIFE

Bowes, who has supported offshore wind legislation in several states, said the National Wildlife Federation often gets questions about turbines impacts on marine life and birds. She said its largely a matter of scale.

First and foremost, we use energy in this country, and all energy has some impact on wildlife, she said. Its important to take a comprehensive look at all the sources of energy and recognize that there are significant impacts to wildlife from fossil fuels. Offshore wind has significant potential to have much less impact, when its done right.

Bowes said the federation and other groups are working with industry representatives to move projects out of sensitive coastal zones and farther offshore, where the data suggests bird impacts are minimal.

But moving offshore can put projects into whale habitats, particularly the endangered North Atlantic right whale, which migrates up and down the East Coast.

Deepwater Wind worked with the federation and the Conservation Law Foundation, Bowes said, to start turbine construction later in the year, after April, when high whale concentrations are reported off New England.

And work stopped if whales were nearby, she said.

They had protocols in place for when they need to shut down the construction, the piling, if there were whales within a certain radius of the site, Bowes said. It was literally hanging out, waiting for a whale to move on through but it worked.

GOING FULL BORE

Stephen Pike, CEO of the MassCEC, has said he expects wind activity at the terminal, will be going full bore come spring, and probably through the summer and the fall, as developers prepare to bid for utility contracts.

Brostrm said Bay State Wind has completed survey work and soon will use high-tech buoys to measure wind profiles and waves.

And, yes we expect to participate in the states (request for proposal) process this year, he said.

Matthew Morrissey, Deepwater Winds Massachusetts vice president, said in December that federal impacts on the industry at least for areas currently leased could be largely behind us with developers contracts already on the books and larger market factors at play.

The activity for several years now has been led by states, who are forced to deal with looming capacity shortfalls in regional markets, and as a result, need to develop new sources of scalable energy that can replace old, inefficient plants with new, highly efficient and renewable energy capacity generators, Morrissey said. Industry and states really are the market drivers for offshore winds emergence today.

Kendall said issues surrounding offshore wind development are continuing to unfold, and urged any mariner out there to contact him with concerns.

And he cautioned that, when it comes to installing turbines south of Marthas Vineyard, the very winds that make the sites so attractive could also prove problematic in construction and maintenance.

Its a tough environment. At times, its impossible to be out there, Kendall said. The wind doesnt always cooperate.

Follow Mike Lawrence on Twitter @LawrenceMike

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Not exactly a breeze: Offshore wind still faces challenges - News ... - SouthCoastToday.com

By Rebecca Maitland, correspondent

Silver Sponsor: Aramco innovation solving offshore challenges

Saudi Aramco continues to strengthen and expand its offshore oil and gas exploration and production program to meet growing global energy demand. Innovation and collaboration are two approaches the integrated energy and chemicals company takes in many areas to safely deliver energy around the world.

For example, new offshore transportation models, engineering excellence, and collaborative efforts with global offshore drilling contractors and offshore engineering and construction firms such as Rowan Companies and McDermott International Inc. illustrate Aramco's continued long-term commitment to its core upstream sector.

Also, delivering rig crews and critical equipment to and from some of the world's largest offshore oil fields is no easy task, yet Saudi Aramco's active network of offshore fields continue to be serviced safely and efficiently. The company's marine department instituted a Sea Bus Service employing Fast Crew Supply Vessels (FCSVs) instead of conventional crew boats and helicopters. With significant cost savings, the program uses fewer vessels, thereby reducing the helicopter fleet load and greenhouse gas emissions.

This program began early last year with more than 45,000 passengers safely transported to rigs from the Tanajib Marine Facility, located on the northeast coast of the Arabian Gulf. The company anticipates approximately 55,000 passengers will be transferred each year by the service.

Saudi Aramco's research and development advances will be recognized during OTC with three Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation from one of the world's largest energy industry publishers, Hart Energy.

With more complex onshore and deeper-water offshore plays driving demand for improved subsurface depth imaging, Aramco's Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center - Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC) has been pushing the limits of seismic resolution advances and data imaging approaches.

"Seismic and EM Joint Inversion for Accurate Depth Images" was the winning entry in Hart's Exploration Category. Aramco will receive two awards in the Formation Evaluation Category for "3D Mapping of Reservoir Saturation from Crosswell Electromagnetic in Horizontal Wells" and "Multifunctional Nano-Tracers with In-situ Detection."

Expanding global relationships, Aramco and McDermott recently signed a memorandum of understanding to create a regional engineering and offshore fabrication hub for offshore structures at the King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia.

Aramco has also entered into a landmark agreement with Rowan Companies to create a joint venture offshore drilling program to own, operate and manage jackup drilling rigs in the Kingdom.

At OTC, visit Saudi Aramco, booth #1861, to learn about company activities, research and development programs, or expatriate career opportunities. http://www.aramco.jobs.

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Silver Sponsor: Aramco innovation solving offshore challenges ... - Chron.com

Much like his futile and misguided quest to bring back the coal industry, President Donald Trumps effort to open up the Atlantic Coast to offshore oil isnt likely to take off anytime in the near future. Ideally, it wont ever.

On Friday, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that will prompt a review of Obama-era restrictions on oil exploration in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans.

But there will be years of review and subsequent litigation to wade through before the first seismic testing ships sail. And a variety of factors hopefully will guarantee that never happens.

Like coal, the problems facing Atlantic offshore oil drilling are primarily economic. Coal, for example, is simply more expensive than other fuel as a source of energy right now. And solar power recently surpassed any other means of utility-scale electricity generation as the most cost-effective source of power.

Likewise, U.S. oil consumption is still, as of 2016, well below its pre-recession high. And barring an almost unprecedented economic boom, those numbers arent likely to skyrocket anytime soon. In fact, a gradual shift to more fuel efficient cars and other behavioral changes could actually cause consumption to drop or at least plateau in the long-run.

But even if the United States were to suddenly need a lot more oil, the Atlantic Coast would probably be a bad place to get it. Thats because the best and most recent estimates suggest there just isnt much oil out there about 6 percent of the known reserves off the Gulf Coast, for example.

And if the global price of oil stays relatively low, the economics of costly exploration and drilling simply arent likely to entice many investors.

Oil tycoons, of course, arent the only people who have a stake in Atlantic oil. Hundreds of coastal businesses and public officials, along with tens of thousands of residents, have banded together over the past few years to say no to offshore drilling.

Though there are obvious environmental and quality of life concerns, the primary reason is, again, economic.

Even assuming a best case scenario, the 20-year impact of offshore drilling on the South Carolina economy would total about $2.7 billion, according to estimates from the American Petroleum Institute, an oil lobbying organization.

That sounds like a fairly big number. But tourists in South Carolina spent nearly ten times that amount more than $20 billion in 2015 alone.

In other words, even the most lucrative oil and gas scenario would generate less than 1 percent of the economic impact tourism has on the state.

Given that the overwhelming majority of those tourism dollars flow through coastal communities that would be at risk from oil spills and other industry-related repercussions, the potential problems far exceed any benefits.

And the incalculable cost an oil-related disaster would have on the lives and livelihoods of residents all along the South Carolina coast makes it simply unconscionable to open its offshore waters to offshore drilling.

Indeed, Mr. Trump is likely to discover that his plan is less warmly received than he expects even among his fellow Republicans.

Every single coastal government in South Carolina has already gone on record in opposition to offshore oil. So have Reps. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., Tom Rice, R-S.C., and James Clyburn, D-S.C.

And on Friday, Mr. Sanford filed the Coastal Economies Protection Act, which would suspend offshore oil drilling and any related actions for 10 years.

Even Gov. Henry McMaster, who is close to President Trump, opposed offshore drilling during his tenure as lieutenant governor. Theres no good reason for him to change that stance now.

Mr. Trumps executive order is disappointing if not surprising. But it is fortunately unlikely to have much of an effect.

The economics of Atlantic oil and gas are simply not in its favor. Nor are the residents of coastal South Carolina and the rest of the Atlantic shore.

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Offshore oil a wrong turn - Charleston Post Courier

[JURIST] US President Donald Trump signed an executive order [text] on Friday to lift restrictions placed on offshore oil drilling. According to a statement [press release], about 94 percent of the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) was either off-limits to or not considered for oil and gas exploration and development under previous rules. Trump blamed federal regulations for high unemployment in the state of Alaska, where oil and gas are a significant part of the economy, and said lifting restrictions would create thousands of jobs. Opponents, including US Congressman Charlie Christ (D-FL) [official website], criticized [press release] the move, citing environmental risks posed by drilling such as the Deep Water Horizon oil spill [JURIST backgrounder].

In 2016, US President Obama withdrew [JURIST op-ed] all of the northern Atlantic Ocean and most of the Arctic Ocean under federal jurisdiction from oil exploration and production through the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. In January, the Washington Supreme Court [official website] ruled [JURIST report] against plans for a big oil terminal on the West Coast. The same month, President Trump signed [JURIST report] presidential memoranda to progress construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline. In March, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit [official website] rejected an emergency request [JURIST report] from two Native American tribes attempting to stop the oil flow through the Dakota Access Pipeline.

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JURIST - Trump signs order reducing restrictions on offshore drilling - JURIST