BG Group used Odfjell's Deepsea Metro I drillship for the Sunbird-1 in Block L10A this year. Photo from BG Group. Offshore East Africa is among the newest frontier exploration regions, with results of wildcats eagerly awaited…
The Republic of Gabon’s Ministry of Petroleum announced today that it has selected seven companies to participate in a final round of negotiations for deepwater blocks in the offshore licensing tender round from October 2013. The Ministry said Impact Oil & Gas…
Tanzania is home to several recent gas discoveries. Yet the country's most recent licensing round doesn't reflect that story. Sarah Parker Musarra discusses why. With players like Statoil, ExxonMobil, BG Group and Ophir celebrating success in the waters off Tanzania…
Harvest Natural Resources Inc. announced today that a Declaration of Commerciality (DOC) has been signed with the Gabonese Republic (Gabon) pertaining to the Dussafu Marin permit offshore Gabon. This follows Gabon's award, on 17 July…
The Congolese Minister of hydrocarbons, André Raphael Loemba, and Eni CEO, Claudio Descalzi, in the presence of President of Congo, Dennis Sassou Nguesso, and the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, have signed a cooperation agreement,…
Sonasing's FPSO, the N'Goma, is ready to sail away from the Angolan Paenal Yard, Port Amboim, after a naming ceremony, held Saturday (19 July). The N'Goma will be moved to ENI's West Hub project in Angola offshore Block 15/06, where it…
London-based independent Tullow Oil agreed to acquire up to 40% interest in the Cooper block, block 2012A, in the Walvis basin offshore Namibia, Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas announced on 17 July 2014. The terms of the farm-in includes Eco…
Dallas-based Hunt Oil is planning to drill at least one offshore Benin, Africa. Well services firm AGR has been awarded a contract to provide the well project management services for the drilling, with one firm well and an option for a second…
The PSVM project subsea layout. Images from BP. BP’s Field of the Future program has been put into action on the PSVM development offshore Angola. Elaine Maslin reports. BP’s deepwater PVSM…
Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção, SA awarded a jackup contract to KCA Deutag for the Ben Rinnes jackup rig in Angola. The agreement, which comes with a two-year extension option, states that KCA Deutag’s offshore division will provide drilling…
African Petroleum Corp. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Buried Hill Africa Ltd. to farm-out a 10% interest in Block CI-509 offshore Côte d’Ivoire in return for Buried Hill funding 21.1% of the cost of the next exploration…
Dolphin Geophysical AS is using the M/V Polar Duchess to acquire a 1500km seismic survey for Ophir Energy and WHL Energy. The ship left the Seychelles port of Victoria on 5 July. The survey will cover the Junon Block, in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone…
West Australian independent Woodside Petroleum Ltd. has farmed-in to the 7200sq km Lake Tanganyika South Block, Tanzania. Beach Petroleum (Tanzania) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of South Australia's Beach Energy Ltd., will transfer…
African Petroleum Corporation has agreed a farm-out deal with Buried Hill Africa on Block CI-509 offshore Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), west Africa. Buried Hill will get a 10% interest in the block in return for funding 21.1% of the…
Baker Hughes issued the June 2014 international rotary drilling rig count this week, showing a total of 1344 rigs operating outside the US & Canada in June. International activity was down 6 rigs from the 1350 rigs drilling in May 2014…