Exploration News


Noble: Israeli framework agreement imperative

Sep 03, 2015

US-based Noble Energy says it is imperative that the Israeli government follows through with and approves a framework agreement to develop Leviathan and Tamar, which was presented to the Knesset yesterday (2 September). Map of Israel…

Dry hole for Premier Oil offshore Norway

Sep 03, 2015

Premier Oil's exploration well 3/7-10 S on the Myrhauk prospect in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea is to be plugged and abandoned as a dry hole. The well, on the south east flank of the Mandal High in production license 539, reached total vertical depth of 3464m…

COSL in Statoil, Rosneft drilling gig

Sep 02, 2015

Magadanmorneftegaz, Lisyanskmorneftegaz (joint ventures of Rosneft and Statoil) and China Oilfield Services Ltd. (COSL) signed a contract to drill two exploration wells in 2016. The wells will be drilled in the Magadan-1 and Lisyansky areas of the Okhotsk Sea…

Somalia eyes return to exploration

Sep 02, 2015

Somalia's Puntland Petroleum Minerals Agency (PPMA) awarded ION Geophysical a contract to acquire 8000km of seismic data covering the entire Somalia Puntland offshore margin. The move, by the semi-autonomous region, could help pave the way to a return to exploration offshore Somalia…

Eni lays claim to super-giant gas field

Aug 31, 2015

Eni has laid claim to discovering the largest gas field in Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea and says the field could become one of the world’s largest natural gas finds.  The Italian operator says the deepwater Zohr field could hold up to 30 Tcf of lean gas in place (or 5…

IOG to spud Skipper appraisal well

Aug 28, 2015

North Sea-focused Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) is aiming to drill an appraisal well on the Skipper discovery later this year with contractor led funding. Image from IOG. The…

Shell finds hydrocarbons on Auriga

Aug 26, 2015

Shell has made a hydrocarbon discovery on the West-1 (Auriga) well on the northern Browse Basin offshore Australia.  Shell has been drilling the well, in Petroleum Permit Area AC/RL9, using the Stena Clyde semisubmersible drilling rig (pictured)…

Shell spuds Portrush prospect in Norwegian Sea

Aug 26, 2015

Shell has started drilling on the Portrush exploration well 6407/10-5 in the Norwegian Sea. The Portrush prospect is in license PL793 about 10km southeast of the producing Statoil-operated Njord field and 20km west of the Shell-operated Draugen field…

Statoil digs deeper in GoM

Aug 25, 2015

Statoil’s exploration and discovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico are moving forward, as the Norwegian giant announced the spudding of the Yeti appraisal well earlier this month on 12 August. Transocean’s Discoverer Americas drillship…

Noble hits delays on Falklands Humpback

Aug 25, 2015

Noble Energy's Humpback exploration well in the south Falklands basin has hit operational issues with results likely to be delayed by about a month, according to partner Falkland Oil and Gas (FOGL).  The well, which spudded on 13 June 2015…

Lundin approved for two wells

Aug 24, 2015

The Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway has granted Lundin Norway consent to drill two wells: one in the North Sea, and one in the Norwegian Sea. In the central North Sea, Lundin will drill the Rolvsnes prospect. The exploration well 16/1-25S…

Lime acquires North Sea stake

Aug 21, 2015

Image: North Sea license PL410/Hibiscus Petroleum Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad has announced that its jointly-controlled entity, Lime Petroleum Norway has executed an agreement…

Primeline lines up East China Sea drilling

Aug 19, 2015

Primeline Energy has entered into a turnkey drilling contract with China Oilfield Service Ltd. (COSL) for its 2015 exploration program of two wells in Block 33/07 in the East China Sea. Under the terms of the drilling contract, COSL has…

Senegal green-lights Cairn campaign

Aug 18, 2015

Senegal’s government has approved UK explorer Cairn Energy’s latest plans to carry out a 3D seismic survey and a multi-well exploration program off its shores, starting this year.  The minimum three-well campaign is targeting more than…

NOIA advises against GoM lease sale delay

Aug 14, 2015

“The call to delay next week’s Department of the Interior Western Gulf of Mexico oil and natural gas lease sale shows how out of touch with energy reality and the American people some extremist environmental groups are,” Randall Luthi, NOIA…

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