Article archive for BP
BP hit with Texas City fine just as Gulf oil spill comes under control (13 August 2010)
There seems to be no end to the financial liabilities raining down on BP over its US operations. The cost of the Mexican Gulf clean-up operation following a 4.9 million barrel oil spill and the huge compensation claims the company faces amount to billions of dollars. And it would appear it is still paying for its problems when the Texas City Refinery exploded in 2005 with a record fine for safety violations.
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11 still missing after massive oil rig sinks (23 April 2010)
The BP owned Deepwater Horizon drilling rig located in the Gulf of Mexico was hit by an explosion on the 20th April. The explosion is thought to have been caused by a blow-out - a surge of oil under high pressure - as the rig was being plugged until production plans could be made. The rig operated by Transocean burned for 36 hours before sinking on the 22nd April extinguishing the fire.
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BP must fix hazards now (10 March 2010)
An OSHA inspection has revealed more than 60 violations of safety practice at the Toledo refinery in Ohio which could cost BP more than $3 million in fines. This latest fine for BP comes just months after regulators imposed a record penalty on the company over its refinery in Texas.
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Iraq's super-giant Rumaila field developed (11 January 2010)
BP, and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) have signed a technical service contract with Iraq's state-owned South Oil Company (SOC) to expand production from the Rumaila oilfield, near Basra in southern Iraq.
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BP workers awarded $100 million in lawsuit (24 December 2009)
On the 18th December a US jury awarded $100 million to 10 workers who claimed they were injured in 2007 when a toxic substance was leaked at BP PLC's Texas City plant, that consequently made them sick. Injuries included dizziness and sore throats, with one employee passing out, after inhaling the substance. But the chances of that verdict surviving intact are pretty slim.
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BP fined a record £53 million for US violations (03 November 2009)
BP has been fined a massive £53m for failing to correct safety hazards at its Texas City refinery, which suffered an explosion in March 2005 that killed 15 people and injured 170 more. The record fine was imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which cited 270 violations at the oil refinery.
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Arctic drilling controversy (26 October 2009)
The Arctic Ocean could see its first oil drilling in more than a decade in summer 2010, as the U.S. Minerals Management Service has finally allowed Royal Dutch Shell to drill the vast oil deposits below the Arctic sea floor, in Alaska's Beaufort Sea, after years of controversy and delays.
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BP strikes it big but at what cost? (07 September 2009)
It’s getting much harder to tap into new oil resources as BP found last week when it discovered substantial reserves at its Tiber Prospect almost seven miles beneath the deep waters of the US Gulf of Mexico. Located at Keathley Canyon, approximately 400 km south east of Houston, the find is in 1,259 m of water.
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Company adopts FISCO system (03 September 2009)
MTL Instruments, a division of Cooper Crouse-Hinds, been selected to supply Redundant FISCO power supplies for use on the PSVM (Plutao, Saturno, Venus and Marte) development by BP in Angola's offshore Block 31 oilfield.
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$2 billion investment in Algeria energy projects (05 August 2009)
A senior official from British oil major BP said that the company plans to invest $2 billion over the next 5 years in the oil and gas projects it operates in the North African state of Algeria.
The investments will include an industrial scale carbon capture venture at In Salah, the drilling of three new exploration wells at a promising gas field as well as maintaining production at two large gas fields that BP jointly operates.
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Oil giants see plunge in profits (30 July 2009)
In 2008 global crude prices hit a record $147 a barrel. However, as a consequence of the worldwide recession being experienced, US light crude is currently approximately $64. Due to this sharp decline in oil prices Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s largest energy company and Exxon Mobil have both reported a big fall in quarterly profits. Second quarter profits at Anglo-Dutch group Shell slumped 70% from a year earlier to $2.3bn. Exxon's profits for the same period declined 66% to $3.95bn.
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Successful results of Mad Dog South Well (27 July 2009)
BP has announced the drilling of a successful appraisal well in a previously untested southern segment of the Mad Dog field The 826-5 well is located on Gulf of Mexico Green Canyon block 826 approximately 160 km south of Grand Isle, LA, in about 1,554 m of water. The well encountered about 85 m of hydrocarbons in the objective Miocene hydrocarbon-bearing sands and discovered an oil column of more than 670 m.
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First cargo from Indonesia’s Tangguh LNG project (07 July 2009)
BP, as operator on behalf of the Tangguh project partners, announced that the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has today been lifted from the Tangguh LNG project in Papua Barat, Indonesia. The departure of the first cargo marks the start-up of the Tangguh project, just over four years after its final sanction by the Government of Indonesia in March 2005.
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Radars for floating roof high level (19 May 2009)
Vega have supplied their IEC 61508 SIL 2, ATEX Ex approved Vegapuls radar level transmitters to BP Oil for one of their latest tank farm upgrade projects.
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First delivery of Ex d ultrasonic detectors is shipped to BP West Java (18 May 2009)
The first order for Groveley Detection’s Ex d ultrasonic detector has been shipped to the Lima platform in the BP West Java complex in Indonesia. The hazard detection specialist’s GDU02 Exd flameproof, omnidirectional ultrasonic gas leak detector will respond to any pressurised gas leaks by detecting the ultrasonic noise generated by escaping gas.
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Audit of BP’s operation and inspection of pipelines (17 April 2009)
The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) conducted an audit of BP Norway AS (BP)’s operation and inspection of pipelines and subsea facilities on 17 March 2009. We did not identify any non-conformities in relation to regulatory requirements. The audit was carried out as a meeting and covered management systems, technical state control, risk-based inspection and transfer of experience.
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Fire and gas detection for Azerbaijan oil platform (09 April 2009)
Groveley Detection has completed its largest-ever contract - a £750,000 order to supply fire and gas detection equipment for the Chirag oil platform operated by BP in Azerbaijan.
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Tank overspill protection systems for BP Oil (08 April 2009)
Emerson Process Management has won a contract to install its DeltaV SIS safety instrumented system at fuel storage and distribution sites operated by BP Oil across the UK. BP Oil selected DeltaV SIS following an evaluation of the available technologies by Trident Engineering Consultants.
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US takes BP to court (06 April 2009)
The US government has filed a civil complaint against BP Exploration (Alaska), alleging violations of federal clean air and water laws in 2006. The complaint, filed jointly by the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation, follows a settlement the authorities agreed to in 2007 on criminal charges against the UK oil major.
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Sir Tom McKillop steps down (03 April 2009)
BP has been informed by Sir Tom McKillop that he wishes to retire as a non-executive director. Accordingly, he will not go forward for election at the company’s annual general meeting. Sir Tom said: “I have hugely enjoyed being on the BP board, but I feel this is an appropriate step for me to take at this time.”
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Cellulosic ethanol venture (20 February 2009)
BP and Verenium Corporation have formed a 50-50 joint venture to develop and commercialise cellulosic ethanol from non-food feedstocks. The joint venture company will act as the commercial entity for the deployment of cellulosic ethanol technology being developed and proven under the first phase of the BP-Verenium partnership, announced August 2008. Together the companies have agreed to commit $45 million in funding and assets to the joint venture company.
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Automation replacement at BP Wytch Farm (19 December 2008)
Yokogawa has completed a full replacement of the control and safety systems for BP's Wytch Farm oilfield project in Dorset. Developed by BP, Wytch Farm is Western Europe's largest onshore oil field, and is located in one of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the UK. The total estimated recoverable reserves are 480 million barrels, of which over 90% lie in the Sherwood reservoir, making it the sixth largest in the UK.
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Smart wireless improves wellhead monitoring (26 November 2008)
Emerson Process Management has successfully applied its Smart Wireless self-organising field network to monitor wellhead annular pressure at BP’s Wytch Farm onshore oilfield. Wytch Farm is Western Europe's largest onshore oilfield, comprising three separate oil reservoirs that lie under Poole Harbour and Poole Bay in Dorset, UK.
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BP and TNK-BP: The dispute (14 October 2008)
The TNK venture was jointly created in 2003 by BP, Western Europe’s second biggest energy group, and four Russian shareholders, from the Alfa-Access-Renova (AAR) group. Disputes began last year as both groups began battling for dominance.
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Expanded use of wireless technology by BP (06 October 2008)
Emerson Process Management and BP continue to collaborate on the application of wireless technology to speed use of this innovative technology for business improvement. BP has modified its Cherry Point refinery in Washington with Smart Wireless as well as the tank farm in its research and development facility in Naperville, Illinois.
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BTC pipeline reopens following fire scare (01 October 2008)
BP reopened the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline on the 25th August 2008 allowing oil exports to resume.
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IChemE and BP publish animated safety lessons (30 September 2008)
IChemE and BP have teamed up to publish a series of animations designed to aid safety learning through past incidents and experiences. The animations can be used as standalone training modules or as supplementary material for safety courses.
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Yokogawa signs agreement for the FPSO programme with BP Angola (27 August 2008)
Yokogawa Engineering Asia Pte. Ltd. and Yokogawa Europe Branches B.V. Sucursal De Angola have concluded a frame agreement with BP Exploration (Angola) Limited for its Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) programme in Angola.
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BP pays $379m to settle Alaska tax liabilities (22 July 2008)
BP has agreed to pay Alaska $379m to settle a dispute over its corporate income tax liabilities for 2000-02. Sarah Palin said BP, had agreed on December 31 2007 to pay the money. "I am very pleased with this settlement and appreciate BP's willingness to work with the state of Alaska and come to a fair resolution." BP confirmed the details of the settlement and was glad the matter was resolved.
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BP Texas City settlement ruled unacceptable (01 June 2008)
The rights of victims in BP’s fatal Texas City explosion in March 2005 were violated by US prosecutors, a US federal appeals court has ruled. The appeals court found that a plea agreement was reached with the UK oil group before consulting victims. The court would not block the plea deal but has sent it to the district court in Houston to take into account the victims’ rights to be consulted in this case before deciding whether to throw out the plea agreement.
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Conoco teams with BP on Alaskan pipeline plan (01 June 2008)
ConocoPhillips and BP have joined forces with an ambitious plan for a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to markets in Canada and the rest of the US. The US giant, the country’s third biggest oil company, has submitted a plan to the Alaska state government to complete the project at an estimated cost of up to $42bn. The companies will form a new firm based in Anchorage to develop the project.
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