Europe leads charge of offshore rigs Feb 8, 2007
The tally of rigs plying international waters in search of hydrocarbons has risen by 13 over January 2007, according to a count by Baker Hughes Inc. which is understood to stand at 276.

Ocean Rig loses $10M for gear trouble Feb 7, 2007
A Norwegian semi-submersible drill rig plying frigid waters in search of oil and gas says a few days stoppage due to a malfunctioning riser have cost the drilling contractor $10 million in day-rate losses.

Esvagt X-bows to protect Volve, Gjøa for $143.4M Feb 6, 2007
Statoil has signed two letters of intent with Danish specialist ship outfit Esvagt AS for two emergency response vessels now under construction, in a double deal worth NOK 900 million ($143.4).

Hercules profits quadruple, as rigs leave US Feb 6, 2007
Houston-based offshore services outfit, Hercules Offshore, posted a record net income of $35.5 million for fourth-quarter 2006, an erasing of the prior year’s net loss on strong U.S. drilling income that grew 104 percent to $49.1 million.

Awilco orders $300M semi from Chinese yard Feb 1, 2007
Norway-based Awilco Offshroe ASA has ordered a third high-spec semi-submersible drill rig, an option with Yantai Raffles Shipyard in China, the company announced lated Wednesday.

Gulfsands signs rig contract for Syrian block Feb 1, 2007
Gulfsands Petroleum plc, the oil and gas production, exploration and development company with activities in the U.S.A., Syria and Iraq has executed a formal contract for a drilling rig to be used for drilling the next exploration well on Block 26, Syria in February 2007.

PetroMena's $50M float to help $500-M rig Jan 30, 2007
Oslo-listed drilling contractor PetroMena AS has raised $52.5 million to meet obligations to bond-holders and pay "the next installments" to the yard building it a $524 million rig.

Norway: “Promising” awards, but Round 20 postponed Jan 30, 2007
The Norwegian Oil Industry Association, the OLF, says the record number of awards from 2006’s Awards in Predefined Areas is “promising”, but its executive wondered aloud at the logic of delaying the 20th Licensing Round into 2008.

Drilling off Norway circles world Jan 26, 2007
Ten years of drilling off Norway has resulted in 15 million metres of wells, with 1994 ushering in a new era of exploration and production, new figures revealed Friday.

ODIM anchor-handling boards new Farstad ships Jan 25, 2007
Norwegian maritime equipment maker ODIM has secured a NOK30-million order to help automate safety in Farstad’s fleet of UT731 anchor handling vessels.

PetroMena orders $524M deepwater semi Jan 25, 2007
SembCorp Marine’s Jurong Shipyard will build another deepwater, semi-submersible drill rig for $524 million for PetroRig III Pte. Ltd., owned by PetroMena AS of Norway.

Seadrill welcomes former Transocean man Jan 25, 2007
Bermuda-listed Norwegian drilling contractor Seadrill said Thursday it has hired a former Transocean manager for North America to be new VP.

Deep Sea awaits arrival of new offshore ship Jan 25, 2007
West Africa will host another time-chartered offshore service vessel when the anchor-handling, tug-supply vessel Sea Cheetah arrives in February, owner Deep Sea Supply announced Thursday.

Odim winch order No. 10 worth $50M Jan 23, 2007
Labroy Shipbuilding and Engineering in Indonesia has ordered four 250-tonne anchor-handling winches from Norway-based equipment maker Odim, a $50 million order destined for the new fleet of Swire Pacific Offshore in Singapore.

Maersk spare is riser order for Aker Kvaerner Malaysia Jan 23, 2007
Aker Kvaerner’s new Malaysian deepwater fabricating centre is officially open for Asia-Pacific business with Maersk as a customer buying a spare riser for semi-submersible drill rigs under construction.