Exploration News


Zennor spuds Finlaggan appraisal well

Apr 05, 2016

Zennor Petroleum’s subsidiary Zennor Pathway has spudded an appraisal well at its Finlaggan discovery in the Central North Sea. Well 21/5c-7, spudded on 5 April, is being drilled with Transocean Sedco 704 semisubmersible drilling rig…

Byron spuds first SM 71 well

Apr 04, 2016

Byron Energy spudded the South Marsh Island 71 #1 (SM 71 #1) well located in South Marsh Island Block 71 in the Gulf of Mexico, using the Hercules 205 jackup drilling rig this week. Current operations at the SM 71 #1 well are drilling ahead at 671ft measured depth…

BP Nova Scotia drilling delayed to 2018

Apr 01, 2016

BP Canada is putting its Nova Scotia exploration drilling activity on the back burner until 2018, as it waits out the economic slump the entire industry has been enduring. Map of BP's Scotian basin exploration drilling project…

Bucking the trend

Apr 01, 2016

Chad Barnes reports that contrary to current industry norms, contracting activity in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa region is on the rise. The Eastern Mediterranean gas landscape and a focus on Egypt…

Sea of opportunity

Apr 01, 2016

Heather Saucier examines the geology of the Mediterranean and North African region, and assesses where more discoveries could be made. The location of four assessment units in the Nile Delta Basin Province in the Eastern Mediterranean…

Robots in disguise

Apr 01, 2016

Elaine Maslin speaks with Oceaneering about its latest underwater technologies and its thoughts on the future of the ROV and AUV industry. The NEXXUS ROV working in the Gulf of Mexico off the Olympic Intervention IV vessel…

Egypt’s breadbasket

Apr 01, 2016

Italian major Eni has found what could be the biggest gas deposit in the Mediterranean and the company is eager to develop it. Jerry Lee reports. Egypt Nile Delta. The Zohr discovery, in the Shorouk block…

Stop selling us short

Apr 01, 2016

Recent increases in crude prices and oil stocks belie the reality that exploration and production activity continues to weaken and there is no prospect of it improving in the near future. Spending on oilfield drilling and services has fallen further…

Fourth and final Cat D delivered

Mar 31, 2016

Songa Offshore has taken delivery of the Songa Enabler, the last of its string of four new, sixth generation Car D drilling rigs from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in Korea. The semisubmersible unit is now due to depart…

Byron abandons GoM well, moves to next

Mar 30, 2016

Byron Energy’s attempt to drill a sidetrack well to SM 6#2 after a drill pipe became stuck has turned out to be unsuccessful in the Gulf of Mexico, with the company abandoning the well and moving on to another. The Hercules 205…

Petrobras cuts rig, reduces rates on second

Mar 30, 2016

Petrobras has agreed an early terminatation on its contract for Sevan Drilling's cylindrical drilling rig, the Sevan Driller. The two firms also agreed to reduce rates on a second Sevan drilling rig, the Sevan Brasil, also on contract to Petrobras…

Dana fails at Manatee-1

Mar 29, 2016

Dana Petroleum and its partners failed to make an oil discovery at the Manatee-1 exploration well, offshore Cameroon, according to partner SDX Energy. The well, located in the shallow waters in the prolific Niger Delta basin, was spud on 2 March using the Paragon M825 jackup rig…

Eni JV wins Cape Three Points license

Mar 29, 2016

A consortium led by Eni and comprising of GNPC, Explorco, Vitol, and Woodfields, has been awarded a new exploration license, Cape Three Points Block 4, located in the Tano Basin, offshore Ghana. GNPC, Vitol and Eni are already developing…

Petrobras takes biggest fall

Mar 22, 2016

Amid Petróleo Brasileiro’s (Petrobras) largest net quarterly loss in its history of US$10.2 billion (36.9 billion BRL), the Brazilian giant also confirmed its biggest oil column discovery at its Libra field. Petrobras headquarters…

New Zealand offers four blocks in 2016

Mar 21, 2016

New Zealand is offering four offshore blocks in its 2016 block offer petroleum tender. 2016 block offer map, from New Zeland Petroleum & Minerals. The four offshore release areas have a total acreage of 525…

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