Exploration News


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…

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…

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