It’s Good News Monday!
This Monday we talk about:
OE’s 2021 Top of the Festive YouTube Video Pops
2021: a year of firsts and optimism's return in Offshore Support Journal
Aker BP to Buy Lundin Energy Oil and Gas Business, Creating Norwegian Offshore Behemoth
Splitexpress.com launch partners with Regent Craft’s ‘flying ferry’
Solstad Offshore Gets Grant to Cut Offshore Vessel Emissions
Oceaneering’s 2021 Holiday Card video. Video from Offshore Engineer.
Check out the annual festive YouTube videos from 11 offshore companies including Oceaneering, SubSea 7, and Maersk. These digital holiday cards are heartwarming, creative, and fun! From inspiring someone to do something good to kid’s holiday drawings, they are all worth checking out.
“Maersk Minder is believed to be the first AHTS to be fitted with a hybrid-battery solution (source: Maersk)”. Image from Riviera.
Optimism is rising in the offshore energy sectors as we close out 2021. A few firsts from last year as we look toward the future:
The tragic Seacor Power sinking brought up questions for the offshore industry to answer about safety and preventing future similar incidents.
Maersk installed batteries in an anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel, a first of its kind application of battery tech.
Offshore energy markets, including oil and gas as well as renewable energy, is expected to double over the next five years to $600 billion from 2021-2025, up from $300 billion from 2016-2020.
A platform supply vessel was powered with biogas from manure, fish waste, and wood waste in Norway, a first that significantly cuts CO2 emissions.
“Photo: Shutterstock/claffra”. Image from gCaptain.
Aker BP ASA is buying oil and gas company Lundin Energy for $10 billion to create the Norwegian Continental Shelf’s second largest producer behind Equinor ASA. The entire company is expected to produce 400,000 barrels a day. The Lundin family has many other interests in the resources sector like mining and metal companies.
Kjell Inge Rokke’s Aker ASA will hold a 21.2% stake in the new company - he is targeting oil and gas as well as win power and carbon capture as he prepares to launch a $100 billion climate focused investment vehicle. BP will have a 15.9% stake in the deal, whose entire value is estimated to be $10.9 billion, or 100.17 billion kroner.
“Splitexpress.com has expressed interest in Regent's Seaglider wing-in-ground effect vehicle (source: Regent Craft)”. Image from Riviera.
Several companies including Brittany Ferries and Splitexpress.com have partnered together to work on Regent Craft's flying ferry concept with the goal of making short distance over water travel quicker than a ferry and easier than an airplane. There is an Italy to Croatia connection that currently takes six hours with a fast ferry, overnight with a traditional ferry, and an hour with an airplane. The goal of this new flying ferry would be to provide faster travel than a ferry without the hassle of an airport. Their first goal is to reduce some shorter routes, say 1-1.5 hours by ferry to about 15-20 minutes by flying ferry while carrying only 6-12 passengers. A flying ferry at the same price or less as a regular ferry and four times faster sounds enticing!
“Credit: Solstad Offshore”. Image from Offshore Engineer.
Solstad Offshore ASA is investing $33.73 million, including a $9.79 million grant from Innovation Norway, into reducing emissions and battery hybrid conversion projects. Solstad plans a 50% reduction in emissions from its global fleet by 2030. Upgrading 11 vessels over the next three years will make it possible for those battery hybrid ships to connect to shore power, raising the number of such vessels to 21 in its fleet. They expect to see an annual reduction in CO2 of 12,000 tons from this step, and net zero by 2050 at the latest. They will also be recycling seven vessels at special yards in Norway.
Smile, it’s Good News Monday! :-)