Even though we go to press in February, we hope it’s not too late to wish everyone a very positive and productive New Year. And as we do each year, the magazine once again begins this new year by looking forward to how the year could shape up.

 

This issue begins with a look at some of the current and upcoming activities in our own backyard. There’s quite a bit of work to be done on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, despite conflicting reports. Discoveries across the entire NCS, both large and small, mean plenty of work still needs to be done. It’s estimated that oil companies will spend 223.26 billion NOK in 2014 – roughly a 50 percent increase over 2011.

 

We also hear from Barclays about the expected increase in spending on the UKCS during the year. So the future of the energy sector in the entire North Sea province looks bright and the excitement surrounding the industry continues.

 

Arctic conditions pose a myriad of challenges. Among the worst-case scenarios for Arctic activities is fighting fires. From the SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, working in collaboration with SINTEF, we have a report of some of current research being done and possible solutions to overcome these challenges.

 

A growing segment in the North Sea province is decommissioning. We hear from Wood Group Intetech about how well integrity management not only reduces the risk associated with decommissioning, but can improve recovery rates, well design and construction. This is especially the case in some fields, considering that there can be a mix of operating, suspended and abandoned wells.

 

Decommissioning is dangerous work – and Sabre Safety, which specialises in working in hazardous areas, takes a look at the safety challenges in dealing with irrespirable environments such as those filled with H2S.

 

Omega Completion Technology has designed and developed a range of remotely activated sleeves that can be used across a broad range of services, and we hear about three in particular: the Completion Circulating valve, Sandface valve and the Clean Out valve. These technologies have allowed operators and service companies to optimise completions while lowering costs.

 

And we also have a look at some of the latest in subsea technology. Seabox has introduced a seabed water treatment plant that will contribute to making complete subsea processing a possibility. The description of the Subsea Water Intake and Treatment (SWIT) technology makes for some very interesting reading.

 

When it comes to subsea pipeline fabrication or repair, Bredero Shaw and FoundOcean quickly come to mind. Both have contributed features describing their areas of expertise.

 

And, as usual, there’s much more to discover. So we hope you enjoy exploring this issue.

 

This coming spring will be a busy time for conferences and events worldwide. This issue’s calendar page is dominated by March events, so be sure to check our website (www.scandoil.com) for those April events we weren’t able to include.

 

And be sure to drops us a line if you have anything you’d like to tell our readers about. We’re here to help.