Exploration News


ENI appraises Mozambique field

May 22, 2014

Eni says it has successfully executed the appraisal campaign for the Agulha discovery, located in Area 4 offshore Mozambique. Area 4 is now thought to contain about 85Tcf of gas in place. The delineation was carried out through the Agulha 2 well…

ADX Energy wins permit offshore Italy

May 21, 2014

Australia's ADX Energy has won 100% stake in an exploration permit offshore Italy, which it will operate through its wholly owned Italian subsidiary. The offshore exploration permit d 363 C.R-.AX was awarded by the Italian Ministry of…

Woodside's GOM assets sold to W&T

May 20, 2014

W&T Offshore Inc. subsidiary, W&T Energy VI, acquired Woodside Energy's deepwater Gulf of Mexico assets for US$51 million, the company announced on 20 May 2014. The transaction includes a 20% non-operated working interest in the producing Neptune field (Atwater Valley Blocks 574…

Apache to begin drilling Phoenix South-1 off WA

May 20, 2014

The Atwood Eagle semisubmersible drilling rig has been mobilized to the Phoenix South-1 well location within the WA-435-P exploration permit, off Western Australia. Perth-based partner Carnarvon Petroleum Ltd. said that operator Apache Energy Ltd…

Genel close to Malta drilling

May 20, 2014

A subsidiary of Genel Energy is preparing to start drilling the Hagar Qim-1 well offshore Malta after the rig for the program was accepted under contract.  The Noble Paul Romano (pictured) set sail for Block 7, in Area 4 offshore Malta…

Montenegro offshore bids submitted

May 16, 2014

Energean Oil & Gas and Mediterranean Oil & Gas have jointly submitted a bid for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in three areas offshore Montenegro, as part of the country's first offshore licensing round. The First Round…

Norway needs to halve well costs

May 09, 2014

Norway’s state oil firm Petoro has said it wants to double the number of wells on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and halve their cost in order to realize the great potential of discoveries and existing fields in the Norwegian State’s Direct Financial Interest (SDFI) portfolio…

North Sea activity slows

May 02, 2014

Poor weather and high costs have impacted Q1 exploration and appraisal drilling activity on the UK Continental Shelf, according to a report by Deloitte.  The report, which details activity across North West Europe during Q1, was compiled by Deloitte’s Petroleum Services Group (PSG)…

Johan Castberg still in doubt

May 02, 2014

Doubt still hangs over Statoil’s Barents Sea Johan Castberg project after the firm made an oil and gas discovery in its fifth and final exploration program around the field.  The latest well, 7220/7-3 S, was on the Drivis prospect in production license (PL) 532…

June spud for Morocco well

May 01, 2014

A farm-out agreement between Tangiers Petroleum and Galp Energia has been approved, paving the way for the partnership to spud the TAO-1 offshore Morocco in June.  Under the agreement, Galp is due to reimburse Tangiers' US$7.5million for back costs…

Denmark opens 7th round

Apr 25, 2014

The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has launched the country's 7th North Sea Licensing Round, covering the Central Graben, where the  majority of Danish fields have so far been discovered, and areas further to the east, where oil discoveries were made in the 6th Licensing Round…

Mauritania disappoints for Tullow

Apr 25, 2014

Tullow Oil's Tapendar-1 exploration well in the C-10 license, offshore Mauritania, has not encountered hydrocarbons and the well is being plugged and abandoned. Tapendar-1 is the second exploration well in Tullow’s Mauritania exploration campaign…

Mexico opens the door to foreign investment

Apr 22, 2014

A 6th generation DP semisubmersible, Pemex's Centenario GR is capable of drilling in 3000m water depth. More than 85% of the rigs working offshore Mexico are classed by ABS. image source: Grupo R After 75 years of monopoly…

3D Namibia survey complete

Apr 11, 2014

Marine geophysical company Polarcus completed a 3000sq km 3D sesmic survey in license area EL 0037 in the Walvis basin offshore Namibia for operator Tullow Oil. A second 2D acquisition phase has now started. It will cover approximately 1000km and will take about two weeks to complete…

20-75MM find near Valemon

Apr 11, 2014

Statoil and its partners have made a 20-75MM boe gas and oil discovery in the Valemon Nord prospect in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The discovery wells 34/10-54 S and 34/10-54 A, in production license 050, drilled by the semisubmersible drilling rig Transocean Leader…

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