Baker Hughes issued the July 2014 international rotary drilling rig count last week, showing a total of 1382 rigs operating outside the US & Canada. International activity in July was up 38 rigs from the 1344 rigs drilling in June 2014…
Finland's Arctech Helsinki Shipyard signed a contract to build three icebreaking stand-by vessels for Russia´s largest shipping company, Sovcomflot (SCF Group). The vessels will be built for the North East Sakhalin Offshore region oil…
Pulse Structural Monitoring Inc. opened a new, purpose-built facility in Katy, Texas that will provide modern office, production and testing facilities. The modern 740sq m facility will support Pulse’s expansion plans in the North American market…
Teekay Offshore Partners have exercised the first of six options to build another floating accommodation unit (FAU) based on the cylindrical Sevan design at the Cosco Shipyard, Nantong, China. The new FAU is scheduled for delivery in Q3 2016…
ExxonMobil began exploratory drilling operations in the Kara Sea’s Universitetskaya structure in the East Prinovozemelskiy area on 9 August, defying Western-imposed sanctions against Russian state-owned Rosneft. Drilling on the Universitetskaya-1 well…
Singapore-based KrisEnergy entered an agreement to acquire Chevron Overseas Petroleum (Cambodia) Ltd. for US$65 million. Chevron's Cambodia unit holds a 30% participating interest in and operatorship of offshore asset, Cambodia block A. Block A…
Noble Energy and Australia’s Woodside Petroleum signed a production sharing contract (PSC) with the Government of Gabon covering block F15 in the Gabon Coastal basin, West Africa. Additionally, Marathon Oil Corp. signed an exploration…
Deputy Director Margaret Schneider traveled offshore to Platform Houchin in California's Santa Barbara Channel, on 6 August, the US Bureau of Environmental Enforcement announced. The fixed production platform, operated by Pacific Operators Offshore LLC (POOLLC) is about 4mi…
Singapore-based KrisEnergy Ltd. announced Seadrill Ltd.’s West Cressida jackup rig spud the Mancharee-1 exploration commitment well in block G10/48 in the Wassana oil field, in the Gulf of Thailand. Seadrill's…
Chinese industrial conglomerate Fosun International Ltd. is buying Australia’s Roc Oil Co. Ltd. in an all-cash, A$474 million (US$441 million) transaction. Sydney-based Roc Oil has assets from Australia to Malaysia, China, and the UK North Sea…
Exxon Mobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd. awarded a contract to Seadrill Ltd. and Field Offshore Design Engineering Nigeria Ltd for the newbuild ultra deepwater drillship West Saturn, in support of the ERHA North Phase 2 project in Nigeria…
Aberdeen’s oil industry has pioneered global offshore harsh environment exploration, but it will need to “innovate its socks off” to maximize the North Sea’s remaining potential and remain competitive globally, a special SPE event in the Scottish city heard last night…
SOCO International announced the Lidongo X Marine-101 (LXM-101) exploration well spud in the Marine XI Block, located in the Congo Basin, offshore the Republic of Congo. The LXM-101 well is located 23km north west of Pointe Noire in a…
Irish oil and gas exploration firm Providence Resources agreed to contract with Polarcus MC Ltd. and Seabird Exploration for the provision of the 2500sq km of the 2D data in the Newgrange area, which lies in 1000m water depth in the Goban Spur basin…
Maersk Drilling has taken delivery of its second ultra harsh environment jackup, XLE-2, from the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore. The rig will start its mobilization to the Norwegian North Sea in approximately two weeks, where it will…