Commentary, 11/12 2007Dec 3, 2007 No Quick Fix
As we go to press, oil prices are flirting with 100 dollars a barrel. Perhaps as you read this, it’s already happened, but, if not, it’s bound to happen soon. Round numbers are heavy with significance.
From the Editor: Busy BusyDec 3, 2007 This year’s been one of our busiest ever, with a seemingly unending sequence of big news – from the StatoilHydro merger to Ormen Lange and Snøhvit production commencement to Shtokman and Tupi.
StatoilHydro and Total Join the “Mother of All Projects”Dec 3, 2007 Russian gas monopoly Gazprom made it “a happy day for StatoilHydro” when it named the Norwegian energy champion 24-percent partner in the Shtokman Development Co., or SDC, the entity ordering work on the world’s largest undeveloped offshore gas field. Total is tipped to be operator of the Barents Sea project with a 25-percent stake and the right to book reserves, and all bets are on StatoilHydro booking or re-selling gas.
The World is WatchingDec 3, 2007 There is increasing focus on oil and gas activities in cold climate regions such as the Arctic Seas, where environmental conditions pose operating challenges for offshore installations and crew.
Petrobras Discovers Mega FieldDec 3, 2007 Petrobras has announced the conclusion of the formation tests analysis for the second well in the area referred to as Tupi in Block BM-S-11, Santos basin, and tests allowed to estimate that recoverable reserves may reach between 5 billion and 8 billion barrels.
The Assessment of Occupant Safety in Freefall Drop LifeboatsDec 3, 2007 Freefall drop lifeboats – used for emergency evacuation scenarios – are installed on oil platforms and tankers. The lifeboats are dropped into the water from various heights in an effort to produce forward momentum, propelling the boat away from the evacuated platform or tanker. The resultant impact however may have severe consequences on the sustained injury risk of the lifeboat occupants.
Media: The Age of PhotographyDec 3, 2007 It's as sign of our times that there is virtually nothing you can do, and almost nowhere you can go, without being in the vicinity of someone with a camera. It used to be that recording an event was a time-consuming thing, requiring complex operation of advanced equipment. As late as the 1990s, most major events were covered after the fact, because people weren't walking around with cameras all the time. But that has changed, drastically.
