Statoil has, on behalf of the license partners, awarded EPC contracts for the delivery of subsea production systems and services for the Troll Phase 3 project in the North Sea and the Askeladd project in the Barents Sea, respectively, to Aker Solutions. The contracts have a total estimated value of between NOK 1.5-2 billion kroner. The contracts include installation and commissioning support services.

Marine and offshore engineering consultancy Aqualis Offshore has signed a frame agreement to provide marine services to Aker BP.

The Court Supervised Settlement Program (CSSP) established as part of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) class action settlement is winding down. BP now expects to take a post-tax non-operating charge of around $1.7 billion in its fourth quarter 2017 results for the remaining Business Economic Loss (BEL) and other claims associated with the CSSP. The cash impact is expected to be spread over a multi-year period.

Stone Energy Corporation (NYSE: SGY) has announced drilling success at the deep water Mt. Providence development well at Mississippi Canyon Block 28. Stone generated the prospect and owns a 100% working interest in the well.

Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announces that the company was awarded a contract by Shell for the engineering, procurement and fabrication of Shell’s Penguins floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel in the North Sea. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Deep Sea Mooring (DSM), a Vryhof company, has commenced operations with the newly awarded contract to provide pre-lay mooring products and services to the Deepsea Bergen semisubmersible drilling rig on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Austrian oil & gas company OMV has deployed the semi-submersible rig to support drilling activities in the region.

Rowan Companies plc ("Rowan" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDC) announces that it has concluded the purchase of two LeTourneau Super 116E jack-up rigs, the P-59 and P-60, which were both delivered new into service in 2013, in a public auction from a subsidiary of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. ("Petrobras") for $38.5 million per unit.

BMT and Metocean Services International (MSI) have been jointly awarded a contract by Gastrade to deploy an Environmental Monitoring System (EMS) and develop metocean criteria to be utilized for the design of the offshore moored FSRU and the subsea pipeline to shore.

Statoil has awarded a contract to Alcatel Submarine Networks for Permanent reservoir monitoring (PRM) on the Johan Sverdrup field. The seismic technology – a potential digital enabler for the field – will be a key contributor to delivering on Johan Sverdrup’s 70 percent recovery ambition.

The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) has submitted its final responses to post-application data requests made by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding Alaska LNG.

Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell) announces a final investment decision on the redevelopment of the Penguins oil and gas field in the UK North Sea.

RPSEA has released its Technology Roadmap, a plan that outlines the challenges and research needs of the U.S. onshore and offshore oil and gas industry for the coming decade. It takes advantage of RPSEA’s extensive network leading subject matter experts in looking at challenges best addressed through investments in R&D, providing value in terms of energy security, jobs and the economy while improving safety and environmental performance for the next decade.

LLOG Exploration Company, L.L.C. (“LLOG”) has announced that development drilling operations have begun at the Buckskin project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Buckskin is located on Keathley Canyon blocks 785, 828, 829, 830, 871 and 872 in approximately 6,800 feet of water and was delineated by multiple prior wells.

The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy offers the industry 75 production licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf in the Award in Pre-Defined Areas 2017 (APA 2017) licensing round.

Global Energy Group (GEG), a Scotland-headquartered energy sector service provider, has played a key role, together with local businesses, in supporting Premier Oil to reach first oil on the Catcher field in the North Sea. This was safely achieved on 23 December 2017.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has announced the next step for responsibly developing the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) for 2019-2024, which proposes to make over 90 percent of the total OCS acreage and more than 98 percent of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in federal offshore areas available to consider for future exploration and development. By comparison, the current program puts 94 percent of the OCS off limits. In addition, the program proposes the largest number of lease sales in U.S. history.