The Offshore Technology Conference Board of Directors has elected a new chairman and vice chairman for 2014-2015.

Express Energy Services has introduced a newly developed, integrated work station for offshore plug and abandonment (P&A) and decommissioning operations along with new mechanical cutting tool technologies. The system is currently operational in the Gulf of Mexico.

Transocean’s ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rig, Sedco Express (EXS), was working offshore Nigeria for customer ENI when it received news of a nearby fuel tanker on fire. 

Oslo, Norway-based Inocean has appointed Leiken Dahl Aasbø as vice president of mobile offshore drilling.

The second most valuable industry to the Norwegian economy after oil and gas production is the Norwegian oil service sector. Making a standing start in the 1970s, this sector today generates $63 billion in revenues with 40 percent ($26 billion) of that figure coming from the sale of Norwegian technologies to foreign markets.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC) has made another oil discovery in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The Phobos-1 well encountered approximately 250 net feet of oil pay in Lower Tertiary-aged reservoirs.

Subsea hardware spend is set to double to $124 billion during 2013-2017 compared to the preceding five-year period, according to market research and consulting services company Douglas-Westwood (DW).

Complementary to its strategy to develop deep water solutions and grow its operations in North America, Clariant Oil Services has agreed to acquire certain Gulf of Mexico assets from Ecolab Inc.