Transocean has received a notice of early termination from Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited for the ultra-deepwater semisubmersible GSF Development Driller I. The rig's drilling contract is expected to end in May 2016 with the demobilization completed in June 2016…
Petrobras has discovered 'good quality oil' in a new well in the giant Libra field, in the pre-salt Santos basin, offshore Brazil. Map of the Libra field, from Petrobras. Well 3-BRSA-1305A-RJS…
Irish independent Providence Resources is eying a potential risk sharing alliance with a drilling firm and contractors to help it move forward on its Barryroe oil field offshore Ireland. Providence, 80% owner and operator of the Barryroe field…
Drilling contractor Ocean Rig CEO George Economou has warned that a recovery for the oil and gas industry might not come until 2018, at the earliest. Economou's comments were made as the Greece-based firm announced its second rig cancellation in the space of days…
New African Global Energy and Tower Resources have decided to drop their deep-water frontier acreage offshore offshore South Africa, but will be seeking a third partner for another exploration block. The firms were partners on the SW Orange Basin Technical Co-operation Permit (TCP)…
Byron Energy mobilized the Hercules 205 jackup drilling rig to the SM 6 #2 well location in the Gulf of Mexico last week, and expects to spud the well this week. Hercules 205. Image from Hercules Offshore…
Dana Petroleum has successfully completed the drilling of the Lille John-2 appraisal well and side-track on the Lille John oil field in license 12/06 in the Danish North Sea last week. Map from Dana Petroleum…
Focus on the small South American country of Uruguay is set to sharpen after Statoil took a further stake in the country's deep offshore acreage. Statoil, which earlier this month announced it would be a partner with Total on the first deep water exploration well offshore Uruguay…
Blackstone and former senior executives of Pride International have partnered to form Clarion Offshore Partners, a platform to provide strategic solutions to the offshore oil and gas drilling and services sector, with a financial commitment from private equity funds managed by Blackstone…
Australia's Woodside Energy has announced a second gas discovery offshore Myanmar just weeks after announcing its first in the newly opened country. Following the discovery, the firm is set to shoot more seismic over its acreage offshore Myanmar…
Halliburton has released the Dash 3in subsea safety system, a solution for electrohydraulic control of Halliburton’s subsea safety tree. Previously, control was provided through direct hydraulic pressure from the surface. This latest edition…
Despite posting an increase in profits, Danish drilling firm Maersk Drilling has warned that there's a need for a different cost level in the offshore drilling industry. The firm posted US$751 million profits for 2015, up from $478 million in 2014…
London-based explorer SOCO has started drilling the Baobab Marine-1 (BABM-1) well on the Mer Profonde Sud Block, in the Lower Congo Basin, offshore Congo. The BABM-1 well, to be drilled on the RR Prospect, is targeting stacked early Miocene…
The SNE oil field offshore Senegal contains more oil than initially estimated, according to a new report commissioned by field partner FAR Ltd. FAR's previous estimates for so-called 2C contingent resources in the Cairn Energy operated field were 330 MMbbl…
Faroe Petroleum’s exploration drilling program for the year will see the UK-based explorer begin drilling at its operated Brasse prospect in the North Sea this summer using the Transocean Arctic rig. Map of Oseberg…