A total of 30 oil and gas discoveries were made in Q3 2017. Of these, 18 were conventional oil, one was heavy oil, one was unconventional gas, and the remaining 10 were conventional gas, according to analytics firm GlobalData. Among countries…
Global high-impact* exploration in 2017 is expected to match 2016 in both activity and success rates, and with a marked improvement in commercial oil volumes discovered and lower finding costs. High impact drilling commercial success…
Quadrant Energy is lining up drilling the Phoenix South-3 well in the Roebuck Basin offshore Western Australia, using Transocean's Development Driller-1 semisubmersible rig. The rig is about to start its voyage to Western Australia…
Petrobras and ExxonMobil have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a strategic alliance to jointly identify and evaluate potential business opportunities. The memorandum of understanding was signed in Rio de Janeiro today by Pedro Parente…
Eni now estimates Area 1 in Mexico’s Campeche Bay to contain between 1.4 to 2 billion boe – 90% of which is oil -- thanks to Eni’s successful Tecoalli-2 well and revision to the reservoir models for the Amoca and Mitzon fields. Mexico's…
Australia's Santos has agreed to partly fund and lead a new 3D seismic survey over the beehive prospect in Australia's Bonaparte Basin in return for an up to 80% farm-in option in the permit. Santos calls Beehive, which sits on the WA-488-P permit…
Kosmos Energy's Lamantin-1 exploration well on Block C-12 offshore Mauritania has disappointed. The well, drilled in 2200m water depth and to a total depth of 5150m, hit a water bearing reservoir with residual hydrocarbons. It is thought…
UK-based fractured basement reservoir explorer Hurricane Energy says a new competent person's report (CPR) across its Rona Ridge assets has seen an increase in its reserves estimates - by 231%. The report, by by RPS Energy Consultants…
West Africa focused African Petroleum has inked an agreement with Sierra Leone's Petroleum Directorate to enter a second extension periods on ultra-deepwater licenses SL-03 and SL-4A-10. The work programs for both licenses, in 3000-3600m water depth and containing the Leo and Vega prospects…
Pancontinental Oil & Gas has signed a petroleum agreement (PA) for its second block offshore Namibia. Under the agreement, the firm has committed to a four-year exploration program. Pancontinental also will become project operator with 75% interest in Block 2713 in the Orange Basin…
ExxonMobil will explore three deepwater blocks offshore Mauritania after signing production sharing contracts for them with the government of Mauritania. The company has acquired interests in Blocks C22, C17 and C14, which encompass almost 8…
UK explorer Siccar Point Energy E&P has signed up a rig to drill a well on the Lyon prospect, west of Shetland. Lyon is due to be drilled in 2018, using North Atlantic Drilling's West Hercules semisubmersible, immediately following drilling a Cambo appraisal well…
Gaspar Franco Hernández, of CNH, discusses the abundant opportunity to develop Mexico’s over 200 mature fields (First published in the December 2017 OE, access the full issue here). Map of Mexico’s mature fields. Image from CNH. There are several definitions of mature fields…
OMV has spudded the Iris/Hades (Aerosmith) exploration well on the Halten Terrace in the Norwegian Sea, says partner Faroe Petroleum. Exploration well, 6506/11-10 (Faroe 20%) in license PL644/PL644 B, is being drilled about 200km offshore using the Deepsea Bergen semisubmersible…
Tullow oil is aiming to start drilling on the Cormorant prospect in the Walvis Basin offshore Namibia at the start of September next year [2018], according to partner Pancontinental. The Cormorant prospect, in about 550m water depth, is part of exploration license in PEL 37…