Due to continued challenging market conditions, Athens, Greece-based rig provider Ocean Rig announced that if no future work is found for two of its fifth generation ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rigs – the Eirik Raude and Leiv Eiriksson – they could be scrapped…
Arctic drilling has made headlines since the announcement of Shell’s 2015 summer drilling campaign. Paired with the low oil prices due to a surplus of supply, many people wonder why we even need to drill in the Arctic when there is so much oil right now…
Shell started production from its new offshore platform in the Malampaya natural gas field, off the Philippines. Malampaya. From Shell. The offshore platform known as the depletion…
Lundin Norway commenced drilling of exploration well 7220/6-2 in PL609, offshore Norway. The planned total depth is approximately 1350m below mean sea level and the well is being drilled using the drilling rig Island Innovator. Drilling is expected to take approximately 40 days…
Fugro Scout, the new 83m geotechnical drilling vessel, has completed its maiden project in the Middle East. Since its maiden project in the Persian Gulf it has been successfully deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, completing several…
Centrica Resources has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority to drill a shallow borehole (pilot hole) down to a depth of 423m below the seabed in the North Sea near the Ula field. The purpose of drilling is to establish that there is no shallow gas in an area…
With the spud of the Mengkuang-1 exploration well, in license PM307, Lundin Petroleum has resumed exploration offshore Malaysia. Lundin says the well will target hydrocarbons in Miocene-aged sands 75km to the northwest of the Lundin-operated Bertam field…
Maersk Oil Norway AS, operator of production license 510, is about to complete drilling of wildcat well 6406/6-4 S. The well, drilled about 20km southwest of the Tyrihans field in the Norwegian Sea, is the first exploration well in the license…
Gregory Hale looks at how automation capabilities are removing guess work and allowing for real-time decision-making. The architecture for an automated rig allows for portable, machine independent…
A new offshore play is emerging in the oil and gas exploration business – deepwater contourites. Elaine Maslin spoke to Professor Dorrik Stow about what and where they are and how they were found and how scientific deepwater drilling is helping to unlock their secrets…
Statoil, operator of production license 169, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 25/11-28, 13km south of the Grane field in the North Sea. The well is dry, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. The objective of the…
Shreeram Lom, Aaron Rampersad, and Juan Martínez, of Repsol, discuss the Perla field development, which came online offshore Venezuela in July. Fig. 1: Topside. Images from Repsol. The Perla field…
Dallas-based Kosmos Energy entered into a deal with Atwood Oceanics that will see the exploration and production company get an extension, and a reduced rate for the Atwood Achiever ultra deepwater rig for operations offshore Northwest Africa…
Lundin Norway encountered oil at two appraisal wells at the Alta discovery in the Barents Sea that proved important for the eastern flank Alta, and will result in further exploration in the area. Map of the appraisal wells…
Rex International (RII) entered into a subscription agreement with Lime Petroleum Norway (LPN) for about US$11.72 million (NOK 100 million) as capital injection for Lime’s drilling program obligations. Image from Rex…