CNOOC Ltd started production at two of its offshore fields, the Wenchang 19-1 North and Weizhou 12-8 West. The Wenchang 19-1 North oil field is located in the western Pearl River Mouth Basin with an average water depth of about 120-130m…
The international hunt for resources in the arctic is unlikely to lead to confrontation, but it is possible, the SPE Arctic and Extreme Environments conference heard in Moscow today. Former British diplomat in Russia, Sir Anthony Brenton…
After two years of planning, BP is about to launch a major renewal program on its North Sea Magnus and ETAP facilities. BP explained the program—and its long term aims—to Elaine Maslin. Operators in the North Sea are tackling a thorny…
Over the past week, the government shutdown has steadily crept into more sectors of the oil and gas industry. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) shuttered today, sending a message to subscribers at 1 pm ET that it would furlough…
Developing economies continue to be a core feature of global exploration efforts. Dr Peter Davis looks at managing political, societal and ethical risks in such regions. As Dick Cheney once observed, “the good Lord didn’t see fit to put…
Ghohta discovery Lundin Petroleum made an oil discovery on the Ghohta prospect in exploration licence PL492 in the Barents Sea. The well, 7120/1-3, 35km northwest of Snøhvit field, found a 75m oil column in Permian carbonates. Statoil…
Wood Mackenzie has predicted upstream investment in East Africa will reach US$7 billion by 2018. Martin Kelly, head of Sub Sahara Africa upstream research for Wood Mackenzie, told delegates at the East Africa Oil and Gas Conference today…
A busy 2013 seismic acquisition season is continuing in the Barents Sea, with CGG announcing the completion of its second Broadseis campaign and Dolphin Geophysical launching a new survey. The increase in seismic acquisition activity in the area…
Two projects aiming to develop small unmanned production facilities for use on marginal fields have been given a boost. Unmanned Production Buoy (UPB), based in Banchory, near Aberdeen, has signed a memorandum of understanding with engineering firm AMEC to provide engineering…
Aker Solutions has secured a three year contract for the first phase of decommissioning the Murchison platform in the North Sea, operated by CNR International (UK). Aker Solutions will manage the engineering design, procurement and offshore…
Maersk Oil Qatar (MOQ) and Gulf Drilling International (GDI) have signed two new contracts; one two-year contract for the GDI jack-up drilling rig (rig B-341), and another three-year contract for a new GDI offshore accommodation jack-up. The…
On Oct.1, Brazil's National Petroleum Agency (Agência Nacional do Petróleo, ANP) said that 11 companies were registered and qualified to bid for pre-salt licenses at the upcoming Santos basin auction. The ultra-deepwater Libra field is estimated…
A gas leak discovered in a pipeline running to the Bolashak processing plant in Atyrau shut the Kashagan field 16 days after initial production kicked off on September 11. Production is reportedly expected to be stopped for 3-4 days. Wells…
Statoil ASA is extending its production stoppage in the Njord oilfield, located in the Norwegian Sea, to reinforce a drilling platform. Production was originally halted on July 27 due to some small deformations found in some beams and other structural elements in the deck framing…
Statoil ASA discovered between 300-600MMbo recoverable in its first Bay du Nord exploration well, located 500km (310 mi.) northeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland. 'It is exciting that Statoil is opening a new basin offshore Newfoundland…