Member Info for adoubleuk

Simon_Said,

"I don't know anything about the OGA listing. I'm not actually as constantly involved in all this as you seem to think "

I have been keeping an eye on the OGA site to check on the approvals applications, but it looks like I took my eye off the ball and 'persimmon' beat me to it!

Like yourself I don't think too much should be read into this 'name change' thing, even if it does seem a bit odd and I've personally no (speculative) explanation for it. Other than that OGA should be considered a 'Quango', though such admin can act as though it were Whitehall, and thus mysteriously!

Following on from my recent post, I'm not surprised at the reply I received from Lower Easham.

The questions I put were brief, for convenience, and not covering all related aspects.

Think about it. Prior to leaving Dubai, the boat will have loaded up with stores, provisions, and parts essentially for the six-week voyage. But after Rotterdam the boat's going to be at sea for a matter of years. Sure, there'll be resupply at sea, but they'll be taking lots more stuff onboard when in 'home port'.

..."I think other posters should consider appro"...

Scrub that mysterious unfinished phrase at the end of my post! A copy/paste hangover from a different message on a different board!

Genghis (and all),

"Aduk The 3 days was posted from memory, it might have been "a few days" or something like that,"

I've followed up on this with the company, as it is of personal interest, having a vague plan to drive to Rotterdam to see the FPSO before she sails to WoS.

Per their request, I will not quote the email I received verbatim. But I can paraphrase with the following information which is considered 'not sensitive'.

a The turrezt plate will indeed be removed in Rotterdam.

b The stopover is likely to be of at least a week.

So that clears up one or two speculative rumours that were floating around this BB last week. It should be remembered that the company remains refreshingly open to essentially mundane requests for detail when they're not concerning potentially 'SP 'price-sensitive' matters. I wouldn't advocate approaching them every time a difference of opinion occurs on this or other BB's, because they're busy people, but on the occasions I've done so I've received a prompt and clear reply. The same can't be said for a number of other AIM-listed companies in which I've held shares.

I think other posters should consider appro

Persimmon,

Hmm, that's odd. Well spotted.

Someone on this BB mentioned Rathlin last week as a possible further investment by RBD. Sorry, I'm too lazy to go back and hunt out the post, but well done whoever it was! I subsequently took a look at Rathlin / Connought's drilling plans and they look pretty promising and sound. This is some good news for the start of the week, even though (being cautious) it's important to note that there are a couple of conditions to be met before the deal is finalised.

Wulbert, (and JayKay)

Each to their own, I suppose.

Personally I prefer this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBfvwRQ3ec4

And given the FPSO's current position, it's vaguely 'on-topic' as well. Maybe...

Genghis,

"For now, co guidance remains c. 3 days to fit flare stack and remove turret plate : if that is going to change I would expect us to be told , but who knows."

Is this general knowledge in something said or published, or info you've gleaned yourself from the company? I don't see that it could be considered 'price-sensitive', so I might contact IR about it myself, as I'd like to go to Rotterdam and see the boat 'for real', even if it's from a distance. But it'll all be a matter of timing.

Like BlooBird, a few weeks ago I speculated in a post here that they might leave removal of the turret plate until the last minute. If not actually in the field, where the water depth might be deeper than the turret winch capability (the same winch as is used to pull in and latch the buoy), but maybe just outside Lerwick, or somewhere like that, to be picked up later and either taken back to Rotterdam or cut up for scrap.

But I don't know. If public knowledge, please provide reference if you have one. It'd be good stuff to know, and also damp down speculation on the subject.

JayKay,

"PS, you sure you're not Texan?"

If you're referring to me, absolutely sure! I'm no 'Aberdeen Cowboy'. Maybe there are some Texans with roots going back (in the distant past) to my family, though. However I doubt it, because my ancestors were seafarers, not farmers.

Don't deride the Texans, however. Despite their many shortcomings, they've got a good idea about 'style', and like to show it.

I might wear a Stetson every day, but think dirt-farmer, not JR Ewing.

I have two or three pairs of 'western' boots, which are incredibly comfortable, ensure one walks with a good posture, and if combined with a smart jacket, shirt, and tie are guaranteed to get one more admiring glances from the ladies than trainers, hoody, and a tee-shirt saying 'gangsta'.

NEVER wear blue jeans.

And none of the the rigs I've been in charge of during my career in the oilfield has ever burned down.

Texan? Qui, moi? Must have been my ginger-haired step-brother.

JayKay,

"Somewhere further on up the 'furious' road?"

Not for me. But it's always 'up' the road, not 'down'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78gR3Dlj7l0

The road's what you make it. Even if Rotterdam will be a long haul!

Genghis,

"Nonsense aduk. Fuel duty has been unchanged for 8 years, so has had no effect on changes in fuel price."

As this is coming from you, I take it as fact, won't argue, and stand corrected.

I live in France, where diesel (at the pump) prices have risen 22% over the last 9 months. There was a very recent 7% hike on the price of diesel, and this was announced as a direct 'tax' to bring diesel into approximately the same price-band as petrol, to satisfy the 'greens'.

Which has of course provoked uproar. And today I've learned about a huge movement to picket fuel-stations and major-road-junctions on Nov 17th to protest about it.(Snail, take note.) And there's nothing the French like more than a good protest and bringing things to a halt.

It could play hell with my Saturday-night poker game, so I'll nicely ask a young lady-friend in Chatelaillon if I can sleep overnight on her sofa Friday night instead, so the protesters don't disturb my habitual rituals. 'Cos they'll have all gone home by the time I hit the road home in the early hours of Sunday.

But this is France, not the UK.

If Fuel Duty hasn't increased in eight yers, then some other 'taxation' has caused the fuel companies to increase their prices to compensate for other taxation which they themselves have becomed burdened with. So it works out to being the same thing.

Everyone (or almost everyone) sees oil companies as profiteering devils-incarnate. But it's not true, even if of course they seek to make a profit. If they didn't, they'd turn to something else, like selling pizza.

The bottom line is that the price you pay at the pump is far more related to local (national) politics than it is to the cost of extracting and processing the stuff is, and its market value in London and Wall Street.

JayKay,

"Come on mate, David 'DD' Davis has already ruled out the Mad Max dystopia option ;o)"

But (given the fact he's already considered it), he must have thought it a possible option.

And if a politician has 'ruled it out' as happening, the more likely it seems to me that it will occur somewhere further on up the road.

(another post to follow, as I'm on a roll)

JayKay,

"Seaman stains is an urban myth"

Was that spoken with a lisp?

Either way, one of the best puns I've read in ages!

casapinos,

"I restate my position that the SP is languishing mainly due to caution before the establishment of steady oil flow from ESP and , in part, POO fall, and general market nervousness."

Nice to see a calm bit of comment. And from the three possible 'causes' you state above, my personal belief is that your last one, 'general market nervousness' is probably the most important.

2008 isn't over.

I'm not sure that 'nervousness' is the right word. Try 'malaise'. The sick feeling one gets when having painted oneself into a corner and wants to get out without meking a mess of either what one's already painted, one's shoes, and without leaving a telltale trace behind.

All the while, knowing that the job's only done and dusted once the corner has been properly painted to match the rest of the floor.

This afternoon I happened by pure coincidence to be discussing this with a young lady who runs the local highstreet 'buy and sell' gold shop. And there are interesting trends going on. People selling 'cos they've run out of cash. But equally people desperately wanting to buy, but haven't got the cash to do so. And the shop doesn't accept credit. And this is why the gold price has remained more or less static for the past year or two.

Sign of the times.

I'm effin' kicking myself for not having seen the recent 58p high as a trading opportunity, but not shedding any tears about it anyway. If you start whipping yourself with nettles over missed opportunities, all you end up with is a sore back.

There'll be another opportunity further on up the road...

Or if there isn't, and the World Economy goes into total breakdown (not impossible), our shares become worthless, the internet stops working, and we enter into some sort of Mad Max situation (again, not impossible), then it's everyone for themselves.

Think about it...

Dr T being interviewed by Malcy, for instance...

Malcy:: "And you've recently got the FPSO into place, I believe?"

Dr T: "The FPSO? Oh... Effin Nora! Yes, nicely latched-up and in position as per program, ready to perform her duties"

Or on the phone with Justin Waite.

Justin: "Just remind listeners unfamiliar with this this share what your FPSO's called, please."

Dr T: "Are there any? Oh, Effin Nora."

The possibilities are endless. Time to start a petition, methinks.

Snail,

"the good ship effing Nora is getting closer by the hour !!"

I have it on very good information that various people at Hurricane Towers in Lower Easham sometimes look at this and other BB's. And that in fact it's part of Vigo Communications' brief to monitor the web for any mention of HUR.

Quite a while back there was some lighthearted OT weekend chat about renaming the Aoka Mizu. Consensus seemed to be that this wouldn't happen, and I think that's true. But just on the offchance that Bluewater might acceed to such an notion, giving her a new name based on HUR shareholders' votes, I reckon calling her the Effin Nora would would be a grand idea.

And I wouldn't be surprised if the CEO went for it like a shot!

And yes (before anyone asks), I've had an early drink or two this evening...

Cebo,

"Ak, it might be tax free but the aditional cost of bunkering offshore may eat into any saving"

Quite agree. But they must be doing it for a reason. And if you look closely at the AM's specs, (fuel capacity, mean fuel consumption by the Wartsilas, etc.) she should have been able to make the run in a oner, easily.

I don't really know the reason for the stopover. Bunkering the tug on the way down was fully understandable, but this is different. And Wessexmario's suggested a plausible reason for it.

Hey! This is all just idle speculation, anyway. We shouldn't be writing such stuff, according to the 'sheriff of the bb'.

News from a confidential lnside source informs me that installation of the flux capacitor is part of the scope of work to be done in Rotterdam. But we may not see it, as it'll be protected by a SEP field...

Wessex,

"Malta's territorial waters are 12 miles, the bunkering area being just outside of that limit would suggest the fuel is tax-free there"

Dammit. Yeah. Why didn't I think of that?

There was another thread here about 48 hours ago which got completely deleted after some people got into a spat and some 'reporting' was done. Which is a shame, because there were some interesting posts under that header.

One post was from me, mentioning that a while back I'd surmised that the boat wouldn't stop near Malta for bunkering because her fuel tanks are big enough to do the trip in a oner. But it looks that I was wrong. (Which will no doubt amuse Ricfle immensely.)

But yes. Refuelling in international waters in the Med means a huge saving in costs for Bluewater. Fill up to the brim there, rather than at Rotterdam where fuel costs waaay more. Sure, they'll top-up again in Holland at Northern European prices, but a brief Malta stopover will save 'em money.

Clever.

escargot,

"sipp ...... I'm a little upset you didn't recommend me for filtering too !"

So allow me to do so instead. I think The Snail should be filtered because he's got more sense than to try arguing with Ricfle...