Exploration News


Ophir spuds in Gulf of Thailand

Oct 21, 2015

UK-based Ophir Energy commenced its two-well drilling campaign in the Gulf of Thailand with the spudding of the G4/50-10 exploration well on the Soy Siam prospect. Image: Offshore Thailand / Ophir…

No oil show for ROC in China

Oct 20, 2015

No hydrocarbon show at the ROC Oil-operated block 09/05 in the Bohai Bay basin in China, says joint venture partner AWE Ltd. The well, QK12-3-1D, which is now preparing for abandonment, is the second of the two planned exploration wells in the block…

AziLat gains blocks offshore Brazil

Oct 19, 2015

AziLat Ltd. announced that it has entered into a transaction with OGX Petróleo e Gás S.A., to acquire OGX’s full interest in two blocks, offshore Brazil. The blocks are located in the Ceará basin and the Potiguar basin in the equatorial…

MEO drops three Auz permits

Oct 16, 2015

MEO Australia’s exploration portfolio will be getting thinner next year, as the company announced it will drop out of three Australian blocks in the next six months due to high risks and minimal potential. Map of Beehive…

Lundin spuds Rolvsnes in North Sea

Oct 16, 2015

Lundin Petroleum has started drilling exploration well 16/1-25 S on the Rolvsnes prospect in PL338C about 6km south of the Edvard Grieg field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Well 16/1-25 S will explore the Rolvsnes area, between the Edvard Grieg field and the Luno II discovery…

Oil shows at delayed Falklands Humpack

Oct 16, 2015

Noble Energy has recorded oil and gas shows in the 53/02-01 Humpback exploration well, according to partner Falklands Oil and Gas (FOGL). The 53/02-01 well was drilled to 4718m with the oil and gas shows in the main target horizon and…

Repsol to cut spending, divest assets

Oct 15, 2015

In Repsol's 2016-2020 Strategic Plan, unveiled today, the company vowed to cut spending by 38% and divest US$7.1 billion (€6.2 billion) in non-strategic assets. The company said it expected to make half of those divestments in the next two years…

Payday for Lukoil’s Lira

Oct 14, 2015

Russia’s Lukoil discovered natural gas pay at its deepwater Lira field in the Black Sea, offshore Romania. The Transocean Development Driller II. Image from Lukoil. The Lira-1X…

DEA takes E.ON Norway biz for $1.6 billion

Oct 14, 2015

E.ON is divesting 100% of its Norwegian exploration and production (E&P) business in a US$1.6 billion deal with Germany’s DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG. Image from E.ON. Upon the terms of the contract…

Ocean Rig Athena heading for Senegal

Oct 14, 2015

Cairn Energy is due to start its 1 billion bbl-seeking drilling program on its prospective offshore Senegal blocks in coming weeks. The Ocean Rig Athena is expected to start mobilization to Senegal from its current location in Angola in the next few days…

Cairn to begin Senegal drilling

Oct 13, 2015

In this video FAR Ltd’s managing director Catherine Norman, explains the company’s upcoming appraisal/exploration drilling program, as part of the Cairn Energy operated offshore Senegal permits.

 Cairn, with FAR and other joint venture partners in Senegal…

Eni gets two more Egyptian licenses

Oct 12, 2015

Eni is increasing its presence offshore Egypt, as the company picks up two licenses in the 2015 EGAS bid round. Image from Eni Flickr. The two exploration licenses, North El Hammad and North Ras El Esh…

Brazil's 13th round flops

Oct 08, 2015

Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum (ANP) held the 13th Bidding Round for exploratory blocks yesterday (7 October) that almost mirrored Mexico’s Round One, in that the ANP was only able to sell 37 out of the 266 blocks offered. Brazil's 13th round…

GlobalData: Transparency is key for Mexico deepwater auction

Oct 07, 2015

As Mexico’s first offshore bidding round for already discovered fields saw bids significantly higher than the minimum set up by the government, adding further transparency to the process would be positive for the round as it approaches its deepwater phase…

Bass gets Auz suspension, extension

Oct 07, 2015

Australia’s National Offshore Titles Authority (NOPTA) granted Bass Strait Oil Co. a 12-month suspension and extension for the work program and permit term or its 100% owned and operated VIC/P68 permit offshore Australia.  Map of Vic/P68…

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