Norway will award oil and gas licenses in new offshore areas, including in an important Arctic zone bordering Russia, in the first half of 2016, reported Reuters. The agency said Norway's oil and energy ministry, which asked companies…
Salamander Energy received the first oil in the tanks of the Suksan Salamander floating storage and offtake vessel (FSO) at the Bualuang field in the Gulf of Thailand. Greater Bualuang work. Image: Salamander…
Shell's Shelburne Basin Venture Exploration Project marks the first time 3D wide azimuth (WAZ) Seismic technology was used in Canada. This technology provides much clearer data in water depths of 1500m to 3500m, 250km to 350km offshore Nova Scotia…
Badger Explorer ASA (BXPL) signed a co-operation agreement for a long term agreement with China National Petroleum Corp. Drilling Research Institute (CNPC DR), whereby CNPC DR will become a sponsoring partner in the development of the Badger Explorer autonomous drilling tool…
Houston-based Apache encountered oil pay at the Phoenix South-1 well, in Canning basin, off the North West Shelf of Australia. Apache says that preliminary estimates show that there might be as much as 300MMbbl in place. The Phoenix…
Statoil and partner RN Nordic Oil, a Rosneft subsidiary, began exploration drilling on the Pingvin prospect in production license 713 in the Norwegian Barents Sea using the Transocean Spitsbergen semisubmersible drilling rig (pictured) in 422m water depth…
Staatsolie, Suriname’s state-oil company, is offering three deepwater blocks through a competitive bid round. The blocks for bid include offshore blocks 58, 59 and 60, which lie east of Suriname in the Suriname-Guyana basin. The Suriname…
The Bright exploration well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico reached the targeted Upper and Middle Miocene objectives, but did not encounter hydrocarbons and has been plugged and abandoned, says Noble Energy Inc. The well, located on the Atwater Valley 362 was drilled to a total depth of 13…
Tunisian Authorities approved Australia’s ADX Energy Ltd.’s two-year extension of the exploration period for the Kerkouane permit offshore Tunisia. The exploration period is now set to end on 21 February 2016. The ADX operated contiguous Sicily Channel blocks…
Australian company AWE Ltd. and ROC Oil Company signed a farm-in agreement for AWE to acquire 40% working interest in Block 09/05, Bohai basin, offshore China. Map of Block 09/05. Image from ROC Under the terms of the farm-in agreement…
3D seismic surveying operations have commenced on Frontier Exploration Licence (FEL) 1/14 (Spanish Point South) in the northern Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland. The license, operated by Cairn Energy subsidiary Capricon Ireland, is in 300-650m water depth…
UK independent Fastnet Oil and Gas agreed an amended exclusive option agreement with Petrobras subsidiary PSE Kinsale Energy in relation to the Deep Kinsale prospect, offshore Ireland. The Deep Kinsale prospect extends from 4000ft subsea…
Spain's Repsol could start drilling offshore the Canary Islands this year after the Spanish government gave the firm the go-ahead. The government's Industry Ministry approved drilling plans by Repsol in a resolution dated 11 August and published today (13 August) in the Official Bulletin…
Junior North Sea-focused exploration firm Trapoil is to shed more of its senior staff, including its co-founders, in a bid to maintain the value of its assets. The firm, currently has a mix of carried and paying interests in 11 licenses…
Lundin Norway has agreed to acquire a 35% interest in production licenses 674 in the North Sea. The deal comprises acquiring 15% interest from Petrolia Norway and a 20% interest of a carve out area of PL674 from operator E.ON. Petrolia and E…