Northern Petroleum, the London-listed Dutch onshore field developer ended 2009 with a 34% rise in its reserves based to 102.9 m boe and production was raised to 1,320 boe/d after bringing two new gas fields onstream.

Drilling contractor KCA Deutag has collected an onshore deal from Abu-Dhabi-based TAQA for operations in The Netherlands.

Dutch shipping group Dockwise has landed new offshore transport deals worth a total of US $65 million.

Dutch marine group Boskalis says it now owns 97% of Smit shares as part of its ongoing takeover process after the closure of the acceptance period for outstanding shares.

Dutch Marine group Royal Boskalis reports that it now has acceptances from 94% of shareholders agreeing to the takeover of Smit International.

Northern Petroleum has extended its holdings in The Netherlands with plans to acquire interests in two onshore gas fields estimated to contain 107 Bcf and move them towards development.

Dutch-based shipping and marine transport group Dockwise has secured new rig transport and installation deals which will provide another US $65 million worth of work.

Dutch offshore construction groups Royal Boskalis and Smit International have signed a final merger protocol to combine the two groups with an offer price originally put at €1.35 Bn (US $1.91 Bn).

Dutch E&P group Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij B.V. (NAM) has handed US based energy services group a engineering services contract covering the Groningen gas transmission system.

London-listed Northern Petroleum has said its Tiendeveen 1 exploration well onshore The Netherlands is being prepared for testing after a completion string was run into the hole ready for perforating, hydraulic fracturing and testing.

More gas has been brought into production by Northern Petroleum in The Netherlands totalling  more than 300 Bcf with the start out of output from the Geesbrug gas field.

British-based downhole specialist has reported its second deal within two days for the use of its patented PosGrip technology for wells.

Northern Petroleum has started producing gas from the first of its six fields onshore The Netherlands at the Grolloo field within its Drenthe IV licence area.

Floating production group Aurelia Energy – the holding company for the Dutch Bluewater Group- slipped to a nine-month loss as some of its FPSOs came off contracts.

Taqa has handed a turnkey deal to Fluor Corporation to develop its Bergermeer Gas onshore storage project in The Netherlands.

Shell saw its earnings substantially cut in the third quarter this year by a huge 73% to US $2.99 Bn from $10.9 Bn a year ago on its usual current cost of supplies basis.

Shell has kicked off a new Dutch offshore exploration well with the Noble Hans Deul jackup rig.

London-listed Northern Petroleum has been granted a new exploration licence onshore in The Netherlands covering a known gas prospect.

Taqa and Gazprom along with partners have agreed to go ahead with a Dutch onshore gas storage project after making a final investment decision for the development.

Reduced levels of activity have been noted by Dutch-based marine transport group Dockwise in its third quarter results.

Gas has been found in a second target in an onshore well in The Netherlands drilled by London-listed Northern Petroleum.

Total in The Netherlands has selected a Norwegian-headquartered company to provide document management services for a new offshore gas field development

Seajacks International, the Norwegian listed rig outfit, says it has entered into an agreement with Abu Dhabi energy group Taqa for well services work in the southern part of the North Sea, in what Seajacks UK chief Blair Ainslie is calling a "strategically important" deal for his group.

Holland's onshore Grolloo gas field looks certain for first production in the fourth quarter this year after results from flow and pressure build up measurements were analysed, operator Northern Petroleum said today.

Growing North Sea assets holder Taqa has added to its interests with the acquisition of the oil and gas arm of a Dutch-based chemicals group.

Northern Petroleum's chairman Richard Latham has told shareholders that fracturing of onshore wells in the The Netherlands should see the gas fields onstream towards the end of this year and could boost company production and profitability forecasts.

Testing of the onshore Grolloo gas field in The Netherlands has netted a maximum flow rate of 16 Mmcf/d of gas, Northern Petroleum has declared.

Sweden's PA Resources has picked up a new exploration licence onshore The Netherlands in partnership with Smart Energy Solutions.