Energy

BP has approached a number of UK-focused energy companies about a potential sell-off of its North Sea assets, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.

It is understood that the energy giant has met with utilities and oil companies to gauge their interest in the non-core fields, which are collectively worth around $1 billion.

BP is thought to have approached the organisations on a ‘pre-tender’ basis—ahead of any official auction—to gauge the level of interest.

In the oil well drilling business, having the latest equipment helps; but it’s the human element that still makes the difference, as Alan Swaby learns.

Whatever else the Norwegian equivalent of Father Christmas brings Frank Tollefsen this year, his largest—and most anticipated—present by far will be a brand new drilling ship costing the best part of half a billion dollars.

Siemens Energy celebrates the official opening of its new wind turbine nacelle assembly facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, today.

"We're investing in wind in America because we believe that wind power is here to stay," said Eric Spiegel, CEO of Siemens Corporation. “The US is one of the most important wind power markets in the world and by opening our first nacelle assembly facility in the US we are closer to our customers, allowing us to better meet the strong demand for clean energy right where it's used.

France’s Technip has won a major contract from Algeria’s national oil company Sonatrach to refurbish and revamp its Algiers refinery.

The lump sum turnkey contract, which is worth around 67.9 billion Algerian dinars (approximately €690 million) will last 38 months and cover the execution of the complete scope of works, including the design, supply of equipment and bulk material, construction and start-up.

Royal Dutch Shell and Russia's Gazprom have signed a co-operation agreement that will see them exploring for more oil together in western Siberia and the far east of Russia.

As part of the deal, Shell has agreed to let Gazprom share some of its overseas projects in return for Shell being allowed to develop the third and fourth stages of the Sakhalin project in Sakhalin Island, Russia. Sakhalin 3 alone contains 1.4 trillion cubic metres of gas.

ABB has won an order worth $43 million from South African electric utility Eskom to supply equipment for a new thermal power plant being built in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The new Kusile coal-fired plant comprises six supercritical combustion units with a total generating capacity of 4,800 MW.

Greenergy, a supplier of fuel to UK supermarket petrol stations, has launched a £1 billion bid to buy the UK retail network of Total France.

The French oil major, which is the world's fourth largest energy group, is selling its 780 petrol station forecourts as part of a review of its UK downstream operations.

Greenergy's new chief executive Paul Lester said he had held preliminary talks with Total about the sale.

Eskom, the South African electricity utility, is to receive additional government support for its 440 billion rand build programme.

The South African government has pledged to inject 20 billion rand to strengthen Eskom’s balance sheet, ensuring it can complete its programme while remaining financially sound.

The R20 billion injection, originally announced in principle two weeks ago, was confirmed yesterday by Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba.

As 2009 drew to a close and most Queenslanders were enjoying the Christmas break, ABB Australia pulled off a remarkable feat of engineering collaboration, logistics and lateral planning. Its client, CS Energy, was rather impressed, as John O’Hanlon discovers.

Last week the European Commission said: "The EU pays the price for its outdated and poorly interconnected energy infrastructure." Today the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) publishes a new report with a vision for a modern renewable energy power system, which sets out how the grid can integrate increasing amounts of wind energy.