By James Stavridis (Bloomberg Opinion) -- As the West considers the threat posed by China’s naval ambitions, there is a natural tendency to place overarching attention on the South China Sea. This is understandable: Consolidating it would provide Beijing with a huge windfall of oil and natural gas, and a potential chokehold over up to 40 percent of the world’s shipping. But … [Read more...]
Merkel Wants $10 Billion To Expand Russian Subsea Gas Pipeline
By Weixin Zha and Anna Shiryaevskaya (Bloomberg) Hidden by pine forests near the deserted site of what was once East Germany’s biggest nuclear reactor, two shiny pipelines emerge from the Baltic Sea to mark the spot where Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to secure the country’s energy future. Not far from the Hanseatic town of Greifswald -- an area Merkel represents … [Read more...]
China Plans Manned Subsea ‘Space Station’ in South China Sea
By Bloomberg News (Bloomberg) -- China is speeding up efforts to design and build a manned deep-sea platform to help it hunt for minerals in the South China Sea, one that may also serve a military purpose in the disputed waters. Such an oceanic “space station” would be located as much as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) below the surface, according to a recent Science Ministry … [Read more...]
Monster Cables: Connecting the Subsea Factory
If the oil and gas industry's dream of a subsea factory is to become reality, then R&D that advances current technology is imperative. Companies like ABB are working to advance subsea power conversion, Aker Solutions is developing capping technologies, and OneSubsea has already built the first multiphase compressor that in and of itself is a quantum leap forward in subsea … [Read more...]
Technip’s Deep Blue Tagged for Subsea Pipeline Work at Thunderhorse
BP, operator of the Thunderhorse semi-submersible production and drilling facility, will be further developing Mississippi Canyon Blocks 778 and 822 through the addition of two additional subsea production flowlines. French EPC contractor Technip has been awarded the full scope of the project from the initial design through pre-commissioning and testing. The work entails the … [Read more...]