BP has abandoned a controversial multibillion-dollar plan to drill for oil and gas in the deep waters of an Australian marine park, citing low oil prices.  The UK energy company said on Tuesday that the project in the Great Australian Bight marine park — a pristine stretch of ocean off the coast of South Australia that is a sanctuary for whales and other protected species — would not be able to compete for capital investment with other opportunities in its global portfolio.  “We have looked long and hard at our exploration plans for the Great Australian Bight but, in the current external environment, we will only pursue frontier exploration opportunities if they are competitive and aligned to our strategic goals,” said Claire Fitzpatrick, BP’s managing director for exploration and production, Australia.  “After extensive and careful consideration, this has proven not to be the case for our project to explore in the Bight,” she added.  The global oil and gas industry has slashed spending on deep water exploration due to lower oil prices and the challenges of making a profit from riskier and more complex projects. Last year Royal Dutch Shell and Statoil abandoned plans to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic. BP is still trying to recover from the “Deepwater Horizon” oil spill disaster — the 2010 blowout at a BP-operated well in the Gulf of Mexico that resulted in the deaths of 11 people and cost the company $62bn. The company told the Financial Times this week that it would pursue efficiency and profit rather than volume growth. Tuesday’s decision by BP was welcomed by environmentalists, who opposed drilling due to fears that of a similarly damaging oil spill disaster. The Wilderness Society urged other oil and gas companies to follow BP’s lead and quit exploring in the Great Australian Bight. “This decision shows that it’s too expensive to establish the significant and costly risk management and clean up capacity infrastructure needed to protect our communities” from the enormous associated spill risks, said Lyndon Schneiders, Wilderness Society national director. We will only pursue frontier exploration opportunities if they are competitive and aligned to our strategic goals … This has proven not to be the case for our project to explore in the Bight Statoil and Chevron are also among the companies with permits to explore the area, which research group Wood Mackenzie estimates could contain up to 1.9bn barrels of oil equivalent — worth at least $87bn at current oil prices. BP rejected the claims by environmental campaigners. It said its decision to drop the drilling programme had nothing to do with a regulatory review by Australia’s oil and gas regulator, which knocked back a previous environmental plan submitted by BP and delayed its decision on the newly submitted plan twice in recent months.  However, BP’s withdrawal was condemned by the South Australian government, which will lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in onshore facilities to support the drilling programme.  Related article After Deepwater Horizon spill, the chief executive aims for growth without deals Tom Koutsantonis, South Australia’s treasurer, said he was bitterly disappointed and that BP had done tremendous damage to their “international reputation” by pulling out of the project.  “They made a promise to the Australian government that they would spend nearly $1.4bn on exploration in the Great Australian Bight when they tendered for these tenements and now they withdraw,” he told reporters.  BP said it expected to consider further opportunities in Australia to invest and grow. It said it had consulted Statoil, BP’s joint venture partner in the Great Australian Bight project, and that the Norwegian company “fully understands BP’s change in strategic direction and accepts BP’s decision”. Sample the FT’s top stories for a week You select the topic, we deliver the news. Source link

Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Mon, Oct 3rd 2016 Research Beam added a report “United States Furniture Office Market Report: 2016 Edition Size, Share, Trends, Segmentation, Growth, Technology, Opportunity, Analysis and forecast” Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Title:  United States Furniture Office Industry 2016 Market Research ReportResearch Beam added a report “United States Furniture Office Market Report: 2016 Edition Size, Share, Trends, Segmentation, Growth, Technology, Opportunity, Analysis and forecast”Description:About the United States Furniture Office Market The United States Furniture Office Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Furniture Office industry. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Furniture Office market analysis is provided for the United States markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. Read more at: http://www.researchbeam.com/united-states-furniture-office-industry-2016-research-report-marketThe report focuses on United States major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Furniture Office industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 146 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Request report sample @ http://www.researchbeam.com/united-states-furniture-office-industry-2016-research-report-market/request-sampleTable of Contents1 Industry Overview1.2 Classification of Furniture Office1.3 Applications of Furniture Office1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Furniture Office1.5 Industry Overview of Furniture Office2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Furniture Office2.1 Bill of Materials (BOM) of Furniture Office2.2 BOM Price Analysis of Furniture Office2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Furniture Office2.4 Depreciation Cost Analysis of Furniture Office2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Furniture Office3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis4 Production Analysis of Furniture Office by Regions, Type, and Applications5 Consumption Volume and Consumption Value Analysis of Furniture Office by Regions6 Analysis of Furniture Office Production, Supply, Sales and Market Status 2011-20167 Analysis of Furniture Office Industry Key Manufacturers8 Price and Gross Margin Analysis9 Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Furniture Office10 Research Findings and ConclusionSimilar Report:Global Furniture Office Market Professional Survey Report 2016Notes: Production, means the output of Furniture Office Revenue, means the sales value of Furniture Office This report studies Furniture Office in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2011 to 2015, and forecast to 2021.China Furniture Office Industry 2016 Deep Market Research ReportThe China Furniture Office Industry 2016 Deep Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Furniture Office industry.About Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly. Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesU.S. & Canada Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452International: + 1-503-894-6022UK: + 44-845-528-1300India: +91 20 66346070Fax : +1 (855) 550-5975Email: help@researchbeam.comWeb: http://www.researchbeam.com/  Source link

Going to MIPIM? Save up to £117 on your magazine subscription with this fantastic offer The post EG Magazine MIPIM UK 2016 Delegate subscription offer appeared first on Estates Gazette.com. Source link

There is no getting away from the fact that moving house can be a headache. There are all sorts of things to remember and some say it is as stressful as death and divorce, but not as much fun. Fear not! Removals specialist Anthony Ward Thomas has provided the following moving checklist to make the move as painless as possible. Advance to do list: Cancel and transfer home insurance. Notify car and life insurance of your change of address. Make sure utilities are transferred to the new address (TV, phone, internet). The right Internet when moving house is important, so be sure to do this. Round up utility bills (electricity, gas, council tax) Redirect your post. Have change of address cards sent out. Start the registration process of a new doctor if required. Book in the removal with plenty of notice. Have parking for the removal secured (a removals specialist such as Ward Thomas can organise that for you) Book in a cleaner. Start packing, if the removal men are not packing everything. Start sorting out your possessions: what is going with you, what is staying, what is being thrown, given away, sold, put into store. Become familiar with your new home, parking, access requirements (the size of corridors and rooms. Will everything fit?). Lists and separate your belongings: List your main possessions, appliances, large furniture etc. and have a clear idea of where it’s going in the new home. Ideally label them as it will make the move easier. Label items if they are going into storage, being sold or thrown away. It helps to colour code between these different destinations. If you feel it’s necessary to have an exact list of what is in each box, number the box and write a list on paper with that number as a reference. If you try to list everything on the box itself it will be come unreadable. It helps add to your moving checklist a small survival kit that you can pack for your first night in the new house or your last night in the old house, when everything is packed: Toothbrushes, toothpaste and general toiletries. Loo paper. Towels. Tea, coffee, sugar. Crockery and cutlery, one for each of the family. A change of clothes and pyjamas. Emergency toys and books to keep the children happy. Takeaway menus. Last minute ‘to do’ list. Record all meter readings. Make sure you have keys to the new house, ideally before the move as waiting for keys can be the biggest cause for frustrating delay. Check every nook and cranny for forgotten items when the house is empty. Switch off water, gas and electricity. And most importantly – make sure you have a good bottle of champagne to crack open in the new house. It is best to start working through such a checklist early and planning the run up to the move on a day-to-day basis. And of course, while this moving checklist aims to be the Holy Grail, look for personal specifics to your move. You might own a giant sofa that you’re moving from your open barn conversion into a basement via impossibly narrow corridors. It is wise to use this removal checklist as a guideline and add to it whatever is relevant to your move. Our Features Editor Amy said: “Every time I move home I buy a new toothbrush. Is that weird?” Yes Amy. Yes it is. Source link

Peveril Securities, the development arm of Bowmer & Kirkland Group, has been announced as the delivery partner for Sheffield’s £175m premier mixed-use development, West Bar Square. Peveril Securities, the development arm of Bowmer & Kirkland Group, has been announced as the delivery partner for Sheffield’s £175m premier mixed-use development, West Bar Square. Local developer Urbo Regeneration has worked closely with project partners Sheffield City Council in finalising the joint venture deal with Bowmer & Kirkland. The creation of the new company, Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, formalises the partnership to deliver West Bar Square. Bowmer & Kirkland is one of the UK’s most successful privately-owned construction, engineering and development a groups. Already active in Sheffield as the lead contractor on many major projects, including Sheffield University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, St Paul’s Place and the New Era development; Bowmer & Kirkland brings substantial financial backing and large-scale construction experience to the partnership. The announcement follows the recently submitted Outline Planning Application for West Bar Square and marks another major project milestone. West Bar Square has been designed to provide up to 700,000sq ft of office space and 500,000 sq ft of residential apartments together with restaurants, cafés, shops and high quality landscaped areas. The masterplan for West Bar Square has been designed by Urbo’s award winning team, 5plus architects and Urbed, working closely with Sheffield City Council to ensure the completed scheme will form a distinctive new extension of Sheffield City Centre. The project will create a series of office and residential buildings focused around the new West Bar Square. This major landscaped space, comparable to Millennium Square in scale, will link Sheffield’s Cathedral Quarter to the Riverside and provide a vibrant mixed-use environment. Ralph Jones, Managing Director of Peveril Securities Limited and Main Board Director of Bowmer & Kirkland said: “We are thrilled to enter into this JV with Urbo on such an exciting scheme.  This will enable us to bring our development and construction expertise to the project, together with our financial strength. We are looking forward to a continued working relationship with Sheffield.  Urbo’s Managing Director Peter Swallow said: “We are delighted that Bowmer & Kirkland is on board as Urbo’s delivery partner. Our ambitious West Bar Square scheme will transform Sheffield’s Riverside Business District, providing a site easily able to provide for the very largest office space requirements. “We have worked tirelessly with Sheffield City Council over the last 12 months to secure the partnership and we are now well placed to forge ahead with the development of the site.” Councillor Leigh Bramall, deputy leader of Sheffield City Council and cabinet member for business and economy said: “Sheffield City Centre has a crucial role to play as the commercial business district for the city and wider City Region, delivering jobs and helping to create the diverse economy we need to thrive.  West Bar Square will significantly strengthen the city’s status as a key location for business and professional services, supported by improvements made in the area such as Grey to Green and the recently-completed Love Square.” BNP Paribas and Knight Frank have been appointed as joint agents for West Bar Square.   Source link

Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Oct 7th 2016 Site communications move into the 21st Century with MSite. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday A peerless cloud-based communications system for construction sites that keeps the workforce healthy, safe and informed on a myriad of issues has been launched by MSite, the UK’s leading brand of biometric access control and workforce management solutions. MSite TV is the latest development within the market-leading MSite portfolio that has now been used on more than 600 sites nationwide and by one million workers for dozens of the UK’s top contracting firms, notching up 150,000 entries and exits to and from site every day. The next-generation system enables users to ensure that important but easily forgotten safety messages are reinforced daily and that warnings on specific hazards or conditions can be circulated promptly. Completely bespoke for each and every construction company, the MSite TV system can be tailored with a customer’s logo, corporate colours, Twitter feed and site name. Hosted in the cloud, a vast ready-made library of more than 60 digital signage templates in video or PowerPoint format covers Health and safety, occupational health and environment and quality management to name just a few. MSite TV allows operators to update any of their TV monitor screens across however many building sites they have by simply uploading their own content or the ready-made library and organising it into playlists then setting schedules of where and when to play them. Schedules can include site-specific information such as the project’s progress (weeks completed/weeks remaining), the total number of people working on site and the total hours worked on the project to date. The system draws information from multiple internet sources, to give for example local weather for the next nine hours (including temperature and wind speed/direction), Sky News live feed, London Underground and traffic live status boards and special welcoming messages for visitors.  “MSite TV is much more than just digital signage. We believe it is the most sophisticated communications system built on an exemplary access control base that is available on the UK market,” said MSite founder and CEO Neil Norman. A free, no-obligation, self-branded demonstration of the MSite TV system is available via www.hrsid.com/msitetvdemo. ENDS MSite has been developed by Liverpool-based HRS (Human Recognition Systems).  Source link