Italian oil major Eni has completed its first appraisal well on the giant Zohr gas discovery in the deep water Shorouk block offshore Egypt. The firm, which is now preparing for a well test, says the latest well on Zohr confirms the Zohr…
Brazil’s Senate passed a bill that could strip Petrobras of its role as sole operator of the country’s pre-salt fields. Image of José Serra, from Senado Federal Flickr. Yesterday…
A total of 18 blocks are up for bid for exploration in 2016 to international oil and gas companies wanting to partner with operator China National Offshore Oil Co. (CNOOC). Map of blocks up for bid…
Statoil has made a small discovery about 5.5km west of the Oseberg South field in the central part of the Norwegian North Sea. The primary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Lower and Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Tarbert formation and upper part of the Statfjord group)…
Wintershall's Kvalross exploration well in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea (Faroe 40%) is being abandoned after it was found to be non-commercial. The well, 7224/2-1, was spudded on 11 January, and reached a total vertical depth of 2917m in the Lower Triassic Havert formation…
New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals, the government's petroleum permitting agency, has released its 2016 Petroleum Exploration Data Pack. This year’s data pack adds a number of new projects to the comprehensive compilation of open-file seismic and well data…
Houston's Vantage Drilling has signed an agreement for a two-year extension of the ultra-deepwater drillship Tungsten Explorer contract. The contract, initially signed in 2013, and running from mid-2014 for two years, is now anticipated…
Italian explorer Eni hopes to start production from the giant Zohr gas field offshore Egypt by the end of 2017, after being approved to take over the development lease from Egypt's national Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS). Zohr, described as Egypt's largest gas field to date…
West of Shetland basement fractured reservoir explorer Hurricane Energy has a new non-executive chairman after John Hogan announced his plans to step down from the board on completion of a three-year stint in the role in March of this year…
Next month, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will offer some 45 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration in two lease sales, an increase of 2.2 million acres that was originally announced in September 2015…
UK-based exploration minnow Cluff Natural Resources (CLNR) has entered into a further memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Halliburton. The move will see the pair to collaborate on the development of CLNR's southern UK North Sea gas…
Noble Energy is implementing an aggressive plan to decrease its capital program by 50% in 2016, as the company moves forward with several development projects planned for the year that include Israel and the Gulf of Mexico. Image from Noble…
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…
UK-based heavy oil explorer Xcite Energy says it is hopeful it could submit a fully-funded first phase development plan for its Bentley heavy oil field by the end of 2016. The firm's hopes have been raised after being given an extension…