Exploration News


Quadrant to formation test Roc-2

Sep 19, 2016

Quadrant Energy is planning formation testing on the Roc-2 well over the next 7-10 days, according to partner Carnarvon Petroleum. Carnarvon announced a discovery on the well, in the North West Shelf, offshore Western Australia, earlier this month…

New Zealand starts 2017 permit round

Sep 19, 2016

New Zealand's energy and resources minister has fired the starting gun for the country's Block Offer 2017. The Block Offer 2017 will see consultation start on the awarding oil and gas exploration permits in the country - onshore and offshore…

Manora JV completes drilling off Thailand

Sep 16, 2016

Mubadala Petroleum has completed drilling operations at the MNA-17 appraisal well in the Manora oilfield in the Gulf of Thailand, according to partner Tap Oil. The Manora Oil Development joint venture was able to appraise the 500 series sands and assess a separate untested fault block…

25-70 MMboe found near Gjøa

Sep 16, 2016

French operator ENGIE E&P has made a 25-70 MMboe discovery in the Cara well in the Norwegian North Sea. The well was drilled using the Transocean Arctic semisubmersible, in 349m water depth. It is 6km northeast of the ENGIE-operated Gjøa field (pictured)…

Hyperdynamics inks Guinea PSC extension

Sep 15, 2016

Houston independent Hyperdynamics Corp.’s wholly owned subsidiary, SCS Corp. (SCS), and the government of the Republic of Guinea have entered into a one-year extension for a production sharing contract (PSC) offshore Guinea. The deal marks a second amendment to the 2006 PSC…

Providence in Irish rig tender

Sep 15, 2016

Providence Resources is putting a tender for a rig contract for the 2017 Druid drilling program in the southern Porcupine Basin in FEL 2/14, off the south west coast of Ireland. It is expected that the rig contract will be signed during Q4 2016 to facilitate summer 2017 drilling…

Vaalco ESP fails again, shuts-in well off Gabon

Sep 15, 2016

Houston’s Vaalco Energy has run into more trouble offshore Gabon, with electrical submersible pumps (ESP) continuing to fail, leaving a well shut-in. Map from Vaalco. Vaalco has experienced several issues with ESPs in recent months…

Pemex reveals six discoveries off Mexico

Sep 14, 2016

Mexican national oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has made six oil discoveries offshore Mexico, with one particular find holding 140-160 MMboe of potential reserves. The company also revealed its plans to drill more than a dozen offshore exploration wells next year…

Eni to explore off Montenegro

Sep 14, 2016

Italy’s Eni is entering Montenegro’s upstream market by exploring four blocks. Eni signed a concession contract with the government of Montenegro for the exploration of four offshore blocks covering a total area of 1228sq km that were…

Eni reaches new Nooros record

Sep 12, 2016

Eni’s Nooros field offshore Egypt reached a new record in 13 months of 128,000 boe/d, with plans to drill more wells in the area. Image from Eni. The Italian giant confirmed production at Nooros reached 700 MMcf/d…

CNOOC starts at Weizhou

Sep 12, 2016

CNOOC Ltd. started production at the Weizhou 6-9/6-10 comprehensive adjustment project in the South China Sea. The Weizhou field is in the Beibu Gulf at about 35m water depth. In addition to fully utilizing the existing facilities of Weizhou 6-9/6-10…

Turritella at Shell's Stones

Sep 09, 2016

SBM Offshore has released a video of the Turritella floating production and storage offloading (FPSO) unit, as the vessel started commercial production at Shell’s Stones development in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico on 6 September. At Stones…

Solaris uHPHT well dry

Sep 09, 2016

Despite achieving a drilling record, Total Norge's ultra-high-pressure, high-temperature Solaris well has been classified as dry. The well, 1/5-5, was the deepest well drilled on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, according to driller, Maersk Drilling…

JV trio drills Manora appraisal well

Sep 06, 2016

The Manora oil joint venture spudded the MNA-17 well offshore Thailand, in hopes of adding contingent resources at the development.  The project area is located in the Northern Gulf of Thailand, and is a partnership between Mubadala Petroleum (60%)…

Chevron restarts at Erskine

Sep 06, 2016

Production at Chevron’s Erskine restarted late last month in the central North Sea, following the completion of maintenance work at Shell’s Lomond platform. Erskine. Image from Chevron. Erskine…

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