Maersk Drilling's Maersk Interceptor harsh environment jackup drilling rig has started production well drilling on Det norske oljeselskap's Ivar Aasen development in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The drilling campaign will last…
Origin Energy says the Speculant-1 exploration well in the Otway basin, offshore Victoria, Australia, is to be suspended while development options are assessed. The well, which encountered 'potentially commercial quanitities of gas' in the primary Waarre formation reservoirs target…
The US Gulf of Mexico deepwater Madison well has been plugged and abandoned after failing to find commercial hydrocarbons. Operator Noble Energy drilled the well to a total depth of 16,850ft, in 7149ft water depth, on Mississippi Canyon 479…
Lundin Petroleum has started drilling exploration well 26/10-1 on the Zulu prospect in production license (PL) 674BS, 100km west of Stavanger in the North Sea. Zulu is about 30 km northeast of the Johan Sverdrup discovery. The main objective…
Italian explorer Eni obtained a three-year extension for block 15/06, offshore Angola, the company announced on 19 January. Image from Eni. The license lies approximately 350km northwest of Luanda and 130km east of Soyo town…
Companies in the deepwater drilling market have lost more than half of their value over the last year; Transocean, Seadrill, ENSCO and Diamond Offshore are currently priced 56% lower on average compared to January 2014 in line with the decrease in oil prices…
Det norske is planning a US$238 million development for the Viper-Kobra fields near Alvheim in production license (PL) 203, in the central North Sea, off Norway. Map of Alvheim field. From Det norske…
Spain’s Repsol is flying the coop on the Sandia exploration well off the Canary Islands after the find proved to be very thin, with non-exploitable layers. The Rowan Renaissance. From Rowan. Sandia is located in the Atlantic Ocean…
Noreco has reduced its ownership in license 9/95 on the Danish continental shelf from 20.1% to 16% by transferring the balance to Nordsøfonden, the Danish State’s oil and gas company. Drilling of the exploration well 9/95 Xana started…
Mubadala Petroleum’s US$300 million Manora oil development is now producing from five wells in the northern Gulf of Thailand. The Atwood Orca jackup. From Atwood. The Manora oil field is located within the G1/48 concession…
Deloitte’s Petroleum Services Group’s latest North West Europe Review has revealed a drop in drilling, deals and new field start-ups in 2014. Deloitte says the drop in drilling was consistent with expectations, given recent trends and market conditions…
Italian giant Eni signed two concession agreements to explore two blocks in the Mediterranean Sea offshore Egypt as part of the 2013 Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. (EGAS) bid round. Image from Eni. Blocks…
Harland and Wolff (H&W) have won a contract award for dry docking and renewal/ special periodic survey of the Byford Dolphin mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) from Aberdeen based Dolphin Drilling. Following on the successful completion of its sister rig the Blackford Dolphin in 2014…
Independent oil firm Premier Oil is sticking to an eight-well exploration campaign in 2015, including its four-well campaign in the Falkland Islands, due to start in March, and its first well in the emerging Mandal High play offshore Norway…
Statoil’s request to drill at Knappen prospect in the central North Sea has been granted approval from the Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway (PSA). Drillng is scheduled to begin next month at well 16/7-11 using the Songa Trym semisubmersible drilling facility…