Norway's state-owned oil and gas producer StatoilHydro is claiming a world first in subsea innovation, announcing that the world’s deepest hot tap operations on a pressurised pipeline have been performed on the Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea during early August.

Oslo-listed Subsea 7 Inc has scooped up a $20m award from the UK's Tullow Oil to provid ROV services, to support production from the Jubilee field offshore Ghana in water depths of up to 1,400m.

The UK's subsea industry is feeling the brunt of the economic downturn in the North Sea by being hit with a triple whammy of price pressure, cost-cutting and and fall in work backlogs.

Aberdeen-based offshore contractor TS Marine has landed more well abandonment work for operators in the UK North Sea adding to its existing offshore campaign.

Bergen-based ship management to seismic survey group GC Rieber Shipping says it has extended the charter agreement for its vessel Polar Prince with client Technocean. In August Technocean will use Polar Prince for subsea operations related to offshore wind farms in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.

Seadrill has taken delivery of the new deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig West Eminence from the Samsung Shipyard in South Korea.  "his concludes the first phase of developing Seadrill into a global deepwater drilling contractor," CEO Alf Thorkildsen said.

Offshore contractors have been warned of a £15 Bn market opportunity for well abandonment work in the North Sea based on research by an industry association.

North Sea operator Petro-Canada has become the 200th member of UK offshore industry association  Subsea UK.

Norway's Grenland Group has unveiled record Q4 profits - boosted by particularly good results in the subsea fabrication business which it expects to remain strong throughout  2009.

Norwegian oifield technology supplier Roxar is upbeat about the subsea market - saying it has underlying depths that will help it defy the global economic downturn - after the group posted a strong 23% surge in revenue for the fourth quarter.

Global subsea activity over the next five years will be “solid” with a 12.1% compound annual growth rate according to a new market report from an industry data specialist.

TSMarine has just completed a multi-client well programme for BP, Perenco and Tullow Oil to abandon four Category One suspended wells in the southern and central North Sea.  

Oslo-listed offshore services group Roxar says it is looking for continued growth in the subsea market, both short and long term, despite the falls in the oil price which some see posing a threat to projects.

Aberdeen-based oilfield service provider Triton Group has launched a new division to service the market for subsea simulation technology.

Partners StatoilHydro and Eni have agreed that StatoilHydro will take responsibility for the subsea equipment for the development of the Marulk field in the Norwegian Sea.  

Aberdeen-headquartered oil and gas specialists Integrated Subsea Systems (ISS) has taken delivery of the latest generation ROV control system.

Sonsub has boosted its ROV fleet in the UK with three brand new, latest generation Innovator 250s.  

Subsea equipment supplier Cameron is buying Texas-based KB Industries, a maker of blowout preventers and blowout surface control systems, for about $85 million in cash.

A new study carried out by Arthur D. Little and commissioned by industry body Subsea UK has revealed that the Subsea oil and gas sector has grown from £3.35 billion in 2006 to £4.3 billion in 2007.  

StatoilHydro has marked a world first bringing onstream its complete subsea solution for separating and injecting water and sand from the wellstream at the Tordis field offshore Norway.  

Offshore software specialist Seebyte and construction group Subsea 7 have pledged to start development on a next-generation autonomous underwater vehicle for inspection and repair assignments with the backing of BP and Chevron.

Shell Europe’s vice president of exploration, Tom Botts, will tell delegates at Subsea 08 in Aberdeen tomorrow that the subsea sector is critical to the future of the oil industry.

Geo Century and its sister company DOF Subsea UK have joined forces in a bid to consolidate their subsea capability.  

Subsea UK has outlined a vision for the UK subsea sector in 2020, which would see the UK capture a US $15 billion share of a global market by 2011.  

Norway’s Oceanteam Power and Umbilical has stepped into the ROV market by buying its first work-class units from supplier Perry Slingsby.

Dutch offshore contractor Tideway has linked up with Norway’s Oceanteam to form a cable installation joint venture aimed at offshore wind farms developments over the next five years.

New subsea tree manufacturing facilities are due to be brought online by Aker Kvaerner within the next few days after completion of a major upgrade at its plant in Tranby in Norway.

Aberdeen’s TS Marine has spent £3.8 million on new Remotely Operated Vehicles for subsea construction and well intervention work.