Statoil and partners OMV and Petoro have made a non-commercial gas discovery in the Gemini North well, northeast of the Wisting discovery in the Barents Sea. The well found a small amount of oil. The well was drilled in license PL 855…
Statoil has received the green light from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) for a drilling permit for the Koigen Central wildcat (well 7317/9-1) in the Barents Sea. Map of 7317/9-1, Koigen Central…
Providence Resources' Druid exploration well has reached its first target in the 53/61-1 well and found the reservoir to be water wet. Drilling offshore Ireland will now continue to the deeper Drombeg target. The well is being drilled by the Stena IceMAX drill ship in 2233m water depth…
Lundin Petroleum is on the heels of beginning an active exploration drilling program in the southern Barents Sea with Ocean Rig’s Leiv Eiriksson semisubmersible. The program, which will begin with a multi-billion bbl prospect, includes spudding…
Mexico’s energy reform efforts have been realized with recent successes from prior bid rounds. Now, Mexican national Pemex has added a steady schedule of farm-outs in shallow and deep water. Audrey Leon surveys the plays on the agenda. Juan…
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Statoil a drilling permit for wildcat well 7435/12-1 in the Barents Sea. Map of 7435/12-1, from NPD. Well 7435/12-1 in production…
CIMC Raffles has started sea trials for the ultra-deepwater drilling rig Blue Whale II, following the completion equipment testing. The sea trials are expected to last for three weeks. Designed to operate in water depths of 3658m and drill to depths of up to 15…
Rouge Rock has formally notified Melbana Energy of the exercise of its options to acquire a 45% participating interest in the AC/P50 and AC/P51 exploration permits in the Vulcan sub-basin off the North West coast of Australia. Map of AC/P50 and AC/P51…
Tullow Oil has revealed its plans for the rest of the year to drill offshore Suriname, and resuming at the Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme (TEN) fields offshore Ghana. Image from Tullow Oil. In the company’s half year 2017 report…
ExxonMobil has discovered additional oil at a Payara appraisal well offshore Guyana, upping the ultra deepwater discovery's resources to about 500 MMboe. Map of Stabroek, from Exxon. The…
With US lawmakers prepared to hit Russia with more sanctions*, the domestic oil and gas industry is bracing for what potential impacts may come. Karen Boman lays out concerns voiced at a July Atlantic Council Event. [*Update] The US Senate…
Island Constructor. Image from Island Offshore. Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has granted Norske Shell consent to use the Island Constructor mobile drilling facility for the start-up of well 6407/9-G-5 on the Draugen field…
Global energy services and technology company AGR, has signed a SaaS (software as a service) contract with Dana Gas PJSC to supply the latest version of its P1 software for deepwater exploration efforts offshore Egypt. Petter Mathisen…
Petrobras has awarded Subsea 7 extensions for three pipelay support vessels (PLSVs) currently on long-term day-rate contracts offshore Brazil, with a total combined value of about US$250 million. The firm contract periods for the Seven Waves…
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Statoil a drilling permit for wells 6507/8-9 and 6507/8-U2 in the Norwegian Sea. The wells will be drilled with the Deepsea Bergen drilling facility, after concluding the drilling…