Norwegian Oil History is 40 years old

#81

Glad your father enjoyed that short post about the Drillship/J.W.Bates.
I was never on board the J.W.Bates but saw her while she was laid up in Bombay, before being towed to Thailand for scrapping in 1985 or 86.

I was on the R&B rig W.T.Adams for a tow from Bombay to Jebel Ali, UAE, if I remember right. (It could have been for the offloading of the R&B rig J.W.McClain, or for a rig move in the Bombay High)

I met many who had been working on the J.W.Bates on other R&B rigs in the 1970-90’s and heard many stories, but I cannot recall any names off the cuff. (Maybe your Father was one of them)

#82

Pioneering Spirit is enroute to Norway to commence her next job:

At the same time Saipem’s Castorone is laying the pipeline that will bring the oil ashore in Norway:

Yes that is right, Norway doesn’t have the capability to handle everything with own equipment.
Luckily there is a worldwide market to draw on when needed.

#83

Another major operation is on progress in Norway. Pioneering Spirit is lifting the 22000 m.t. John Sverdrup topsides off a barge for transport to the field, where it will be placed on the jacket already in place:

PS> This just the first of three topsides that will be transported and installed by P.S. The heaviest being 26K m.t.

#84

They don’t piss around on this project.
The Johan Sverdrup Drilling Module has arrived in the field and been placed on the jacket in one easy motion:

#85

Nice video of the Johan Sverdrup operation in this article:

#86

The Johan Castberg development in the Barents Sea has finally been approved by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy:

#87

the opposite would have been quite surprising :wink:

#88

Another approval has been granted.
This time for the life extension of the oldest field in Norway; Ekofisk:

God only know how much Phillips(later ConocoPhillips) and partners have earned in the nearly 60 years since this field was first found (1969)

PS> Or how much have gone into the Norwegian Government coffers in that period.