Drilling has begun on the FAN-1 exploration well, offshore Senegal, using Transocean's fifth-generation semisubmersible, Cajun Express. The rig arrived on-site Saturday, 12 April, and drilling operations on the FAN-1 well are expected to last approximately two months…
Nearly US$8 billion worth of contracts on the Kaombo mega-project offshore Angola have been announced today, following operator Total’s final investment decision on the project on Monday. An alliance between Technip and Heerema Marine Contractors has won an engineering…
Total has selected Aker Solutions to provide a subsea production system for the Kaombo Block 32 development in Angola. The NOK14 billion contract will see Aker Solutions deliver 20 subsea manifolds and 65 vertical subsea wellsets. The…
Total and its partners are to move ahead with the 650MM bbl, deepwater Kaombo project offshore Angola after cutting US$4 billion from the capex costs on the project. Kaombo will develop six of 12 discoveries made in Block 32, covering 800sq km…
Marine geophysical company Polarcus completed a 3000sq km 3D sesmic survey in license area EL 0037 in the Walvis basin offshore Namibia for operator Tullow Oil. A second 2D acquisition phase has now started. It will cover approximately 1000km and will take about two weeks to complete…
The first exploration well to be drilled on the Ntem Concession, offshore Cameroon, is to be plugged and abandoned after no commercial hydrocarbons were found. Sterling Energy, partner with Murphy Cameroon Ntem Oil Co., said the well…
An advanced intervention winch system developed by Protea for Helix Well Ops UK Limited (Well Ops) has successfully completed initial operations off West Africa. The system, comprising five winches, active heave compensators, and power and control equipment…
Lukoil Overseas completed drilling on its first offshore exploration well, Capitaine East-1X, at block CI-101 in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, the Russian company announced 2 April 2014. The well penetrated through 140m of sandstone from a Turonian formation…
A joint venture (JV) comprising two companies, both led by former BP group chief executives, has agreed to buy stakes in two blocks offshore Angola. The JV has been formed by Genel Energy, whose chief executive is ex-BP exec Tony Hayward (pictured right)…
Chariot Oil & Gas and partner ONHYM have started a 1700sq km 3D seismic survey across its areas of interest offshore Morocco. The survey will be carried out by Dolphin Geophysical using the Sanco Swift vessel. The survey will cover…
OMV has taken another step into sub-Saharan Africa by entering an offshore exploration project offshore Namibia. The transaction involves the acquisition of a 65%-interest petroleum exploration license (PEL) 046, containing exploration blocks 2613A and 2613B…
Statoil has signed an agreement to farm down a 15% interest in WRG Angola Block 39 Ltd. offshore Angola in the Kwanza pre-salt basin. WRG is a 50/50 joint venture comprising White Rose Energy Ventures and Genel Energy plc. Statoil is operator of the block…
Eni CEO Paolo Scaroni outlined the Italian company’s exploration progress and activities within the country to the President of the Republic of Mozambique Armando Guebuza. Eni announced that the “possibility of enlarging the shareholder base of Area 4 was favorably received by the President…
Malaysia-based international offshore oilfield services provider, Bumi Armada Berhad has received a letter of intent (LOI) from Eni Angola, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eni, for a contract for the chartering, operation, and maintenance of…
Nigeria-based Lekoil provided an update on activities in oil prospecting license (OPL) 310 offshore Nigeria. OPL 310 contains the Ogo discovery announced last year. The Polarcus vessel MV Polarcus Nadia has started the 3D seismic program…