Exploration News


ConocoPhillips in Barossa appraisal

Apr 20, 2017

ConocoPhillips has completed its latest appraisal well on the Barossa field in the Bonaparte basin, offshore Australia's Northern Territory. The firm is now plugging and abandoning the well and will move to drill a second planned appraisal well…

Galoc JV to drill sidetrack off Philippines

Apr 18, 2017

The Galoc joint venture is moving to drill a sidetrack well, following inconclusive results at the Galoc-7 well in the Palawan basin, offshore Philippines. Nido Petroleum says that the Deepsea Metro I drillship reached total depth of 2373m at the Galoc-7 well…

Husky to drill off China

Apr 14, 2017

Canadian explorer Husky Energy has signed a production sharing contract (PSC) for a new exploration block offshore China. Block 16/25 is in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, about 150km southeast of Hong Kong. Husky expects to drill two exploration wells on the shallow water block during 2018…

Video: Lebanon offshore round deadline extended

Apr 13, 2017

Lebanon has extended the deadline for the results of the second pre-qualification round in the country’s first-ever offshore licensing round, to give companies more time to respond to requests from the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA)…

Providence to spud Druid, Drombeg in June

Apr 12, 2017

Providence Resources is set to drill a wildcat targeting the multi-billion bbl potential of both the Druid and Drombeg offshore Ireland this summer. The Stena IceMAX, from Stena Drillng. Providence…

Aker BP to drill Frigg Gamma Delta wildcat

Apr 11, 2017

Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has granted Aker BP consent to drill an exploration well in the Frigg Gamma Delta prospect. Aker BP is the operator of production license 442 in the North Sea. Aker BP has made a discovery in a prospect named Frigg Gamma Delta…

BSOG to drill two wells off Romania

Apr 11, 2017

Black Sea Oil & Gas (BSOG) has awarded GSP Offshore a contract to drill two exploration wells in the XV Midia Shallow Block, on the Romanian Black Sea Continental Shelf. The GSP Uranus, from GSP…

Lundin hits oil at Edvard Grieg appraisal

Apr 11, 2017

Lundin Petroleum discovered a 15m oil column at the Edvard Grieg Southwest appraisal well in the North Sea, confirming an upside for the field. The Island Innovator, from Island Drilling.  Lundin…

Rosneft starts drilling at Khatangsky

Apr 06, 2017

Rosneft started drilling the Tsentralno-Olginskaya-1 well, the northernmost well at the Russian Arctic shelf, in the Khatangsky license area. Image of Rosneft workers drilling the northernmost well at the Russian shelf…

Cairn in VR-1 upset

Apr 06, 2017

Cairn Energy did not get the results the company was hoping for after drilling deeper at the Vega-Regulus (VR-1) well offshore Senegal, following its winning streak in the area. The Stena DrillMAX…

Eni strikes Gamma gas off Libya

Apr 05, 2017

Italian giant Eni has discovered gas and condensate at the Gamma prospect, offshore Libya. Image of Area D, from National Oil Corp. Gamma is in the Contract Area D, 140km offshore from Tripoli…

FAR, Svenska up stake off Guinea-Bissau

Apr 04, 2017

Australia’s FAR Ltd. has increased its stakes offshore Guinea-Bissau with plans to drill two exploration wells, and has gained a three-year extension for the area. Map from FAR. FAR…

Statoil inks Spitsbergen US$113 million campaign deal

Apr 04, 2017

Statoil has hired the Transocean Spitsbergen semisubmersible rig to drill a total of nine wells offshore the UK and Norway, in a US$113 million deal. From left: Ian Paterson (Transocean Drilling UK)…

Stepping on the gas

Apr 01, 2017

While Southeast Asia has suffered during the downturn, a return to natural gas developments could drive sector activity over the next several years. Steve Hamlen sets out the details. Shell’s Gumusut-Kakap platform operating off the coast of Sabah…

Nido spuds Galoc-7

Mar 31, 2017

Nido Petroleum started drilling at the Galoc-7 appraisal well, off The Philippines. The Deepsea Metro I. Image from Odfjell Drilling. The Deepsea Metro I recently set sail from Malaysia for the project…

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