Popular news, November 17 – 23, 2014

The articles you have read the most this past week include the one on Halliburton’s take-over of Baker Hughes; the production kick off at Tubular Bells; two Greenpeace activists injured in protest against offshore drilling; Repsol starts drilling offshore Canary Islands; Gulf of Mexico platform blast and more… 

Halliburton takes over Baker Hughes for $34.6B

Halliburton Company and Baker Hughes Incorporated announced a definitive agreement under which Halliburton will acquire all the outstanding shares of Baker Hughes in a stock and cash transaction.

Hess: Production kicks off at Tubular Bells

Hess Corporation-operated Tubular Bells deepwater project, located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, has started crude oil and natural gas production.

Canary Islands: Two injured in protest against offshore drilling

One activist was hospitalised and another injured as Spanish Navy boats repeatedly rammed Greenpeace boats engaged in a protest by Greenpeace Spain against oil drilling in the Canary Islands, Spain, Greenpeace has announced on its website.

Repsol starts drilling ops off Canary Islands

In an e-mail sent to Offshore Energy Today Spanish oil company Repsol has confirmed that the company has started drilling offshore the Canary Islands, Spain.

Pieter Schelte to lift Yme

The twin-hull behemoth Pieter Schelte was recently launched at the DSME shipyard in Korea. Next summer, Pieter Schelte, one of the world’s largest vessels, will retrieve the entire deck of the troubled Yme jack-up production platform in the North Sea and bring it to scrapping.

1 dead, 3 hurt in Gulf of Mexico platform blast

One man was killed and three others injured when an explosion occurred on an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

Technip’s eyes on CGG

French oilfied services provider Technip has made a move to buy CGG, a seismic acquisition specialist, also based in France.

Wood Group CFO to step down

Wood Group has announced that its chief financial officer (CFO) Alan Semple intends to retire and step down from his current role and from the board at the company’s annual general meeting in May 2015 at which time he will have held senior financial roles with Wood Group for over 19 years.