Chinese oil firm CNOOC says it is planning to invest RMB 105 billion (US$17.35 billion) to 120 billion ($19.82 billion) on projects during 2014. Nexen Inc, bought by CNOOC in early 2013, will account for about 19% of the spending. Overall…
Norway's DNO International AS has completed a farm-in by its wholly-owned subsidiary DNO Tunisia AS to the Sfax Offshore Exploration Permit and the Ras El Besh Concession in the Republic of Tunisia. The agreement, with Eurogas International Inc…
Following BP’s September announcement that it was canceling its massive Mad Dog contract, the supermajor is now working with partners Chevron Corp. and BHP Billiton Petroleum to develop Phase 2. BP is reportedly entering topsides pre…
Wintershall is to begin evaluating development options for the Skarfjell discovery, after a second appraisal well on the field exceeded expectations. Options could includea tie back to the Gjøa platform, or another facility, or as a standalone development…
Wood Mackenzie’s annual review of Norway's upstream oil and gas industry concludes that the sector showed no signs of slowing down in 2013.The review cites high levels of development spend, asset deals, exploration activity, and a record NKr 176 billion (US$30 billion) capital investment…
CAMAC Energy Inc. has signed a letter of intent (LOI) on the terms and conditions of a long-term agreement for the use of the Armada Perdana floating, production, storage, and offloading system (FPSO) as part of its further development of the Oyo field offshore Nigeria…
VAALCO Energy Inc. has said construction work on two production platforms for the additional development of the Etame Marin block offshore Gabon is continuing on schedule. One platform is due to be installed in the Etame field, and the…
Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) will invest US$9 billion to bring into production several oil and gas discoveries in the Krishna-Godavari basin off India’s east coast. The investment is expected to be complete by 2017-2018.The company has made 11 discoveries in Block KG-DWN-98/2…
A floating production (FPSO) vessel moored over the Bualuang oil field in the Gulf of Thailand damaged a production riser after drifting off station in bad weather. The Rubicon Vantage FPSO drifted into the exclusion zone designed to protect the production infrastructure…
North Sea oil and the constitutional debate in Scotland and the UK The possibility of Scotland becoming an independent country is currently attracting much interest, and not just locally, but in the rest of the UK and elsewhere as a referendum on the issue…
Colloquy: Editor’s Column As we start a new year at OE, we offer projections from companies about projects and markets. This issue features a Global Market Forecast, with analysts from Infield Systems, DouglasWestwood, and Petroleum Geo-Services weighing in about exploration…
Gazprom Neft Shelf announced the start of oil production from the Prirazlomnoye platform in the Russian Arctic. Chief Executive Officer Alexey Miller said in a statement on December 20 that 'we have become the pioneers of Russia's Arctic development…
BW Offshore has signed a letter of intent to acquire 30% of the Polvo oil field in Brazil. Following the ongoing sale of BP's stake in the Polvo field to HRT Participações em Petróleo S.A. (HRT), BW Offshore has the intention to acquire half of HRT's stake…
Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) has announced a new gas discovery offshore Malaysia and the award of a three year integrated offshore installation contract. Operator on Block SK320, Mubadala Petroleum, discovered gas in the Sintok-1 well…
Statoil ASA and partners Eni Norge AS and Petoro AS have made an oil and gas discovery in the Skavl prospect in PL532, close to Johan Castberg in the Barents Sea. Well 7220/7-2 S, drilled by the semisubmersible rig West Hercules, proved a…