Exploration News


Updated: Exxon in fresh Guyana discovery

Mar 30, 2017

ExxonMobil has confirmed a new discovery offshore Guyana at the Snoek well, as the supermajor continues its efforts in the area by drilling the Liza-4 well.   Image from Exxon. Exxon encountered more than 82ft (25m) of high-quality…

Lundin to drill Alta appraisal with Leiv Eiriksson 

Mar 29, 2017

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Norway a drilling permit the Alta appraisal well 7220/11-4 in the Barents Sea. Well 7220/11-4 in production license 609 will be drilled from the Leiv Eiriksson drilling facility. The…

Deepsea Metro I sets sail to the Philippines

Mar 29, 2017

The Deepsea Metro I drillship has set sail to the Galoc field, offshore the Philippines, with drilling operations expected to start on 31 March. The Deepsea Metro I. Image from Odfjell Drilling…

Carnarvon ups Phoenix South estimates by 32%

Mar 28, 2017

Carnarvon Petroleum has increased its resource estimates by 32% at Quadrant Energy’s Phoenix South discovery offshore Western Australia, with hopes of reaching 1Tcf of gas and more than 100 MMbbl oil and condensate within an area. Phoenix…

Cairn hits oil at VR-1 off Senegal

Mar 27, 2017

Cairn Energy has encountered oil at the Vega-Regulus (VR-1) well offshore Senegal, marking the company’s eighth successful well in the area since 2014. The Stena DrillMAX, from Stena. The…

Wintershall to use Deepsea Stavanger at Maria

Mar 27, 2017

Wintershall has received consent from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to use the Deepsea Stavanger semisubmersible to drill six production wells on the Maria field. Wintershall Norge is the operator of the Maria field oil and gas field at Haltenbanken in the Norwegian Sea…

Lancaster could be UK's largest undeveloped discovery

Mar 27, 2017

Fractured basement explorer Hurricane Energy is closer to proving its Halifax discovery is linked to its Lancaster field, forming a single field, which would be the UK's largest undeveloped discovery on the UK Continental Shelf. Hurricane…

Verbier resources increased

Mar 27, 2017

North Sea independent explorer Jersey Oil & Gas says the Verbier prospect, due to be drilled by Statoil this summer, contains 162 MMboe mean prospective resources.  The estimate - and increase on a previous 118 MMboe estimate - was made…

Kosmos spuds Yakaar off Senegal

Mar 24, 2017

Kosmos Energy started the second phase of its multi-well exploration drilling program offshore Mauritania and Senegal. The Atwood Achiever drillship is now on location offshore Senegal in the Cayar Offshore Profond block and has started…

Statoil adds to Gullfaks area resources

Mar 24, 2017

Statoil has found oil and gas in a wildcat well, close to the Gullfaks field in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea. The well was drilled from the Gullfaks C platform to a structure east of the Gimle field, about 7km northeast of the…

Statoil to drill Blåmann with Songa Enabler

Mar 23, 2017

Statoil has received consent from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to drill exploration well 7121/8-1 named Blåmann in the Barents Sea, with the possibility of a sidetrack well. Blåmann is in production license 849, around 113km northwest of Hammerfest and 25km from Goliat…

BPC gets extension, mulls farmout options

Mar 23, 2017

Bahamas Petroleum Co. (BPC) has gained an additional 12-month extension for its four southern licenses from the government of The Bahamas that will now expire in April 2018. Map of BPC licenses…

Eni strikes oil off Mexico

Mar 23, 2017

Eni has confirmed the presence of oil in multiple reservoirs at the Amoca-2 well, the first well drilled by an international oil major offshore Mexico since the 2013 Energy Reform. Map of Area 1…

OGA reveals frontier round results

Mar 23, 2017

Statoil has picked up the largest number of licenses in the Oil & Gas Authority's 29th Offshore Licensing Award focusing on frontier or underexplored acreage on the UK Continental Shelf. In total, 25 licenses have been offered, covering 111 blocks…

Masirah spuds Karamah off Oman

Mar 20, 2017

Masirah Oil spudded the Karamah#1 exploration well in Block 50 offshore Oman last week (17 March). The Karamah prospect has a target depth of about 3km, and is on a structural closure approximately 13km away from the earlier GAS-1 discovery well…

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