Audrey Leon looks at some of 2017's 10 largest offshore discoveries. First published in the December 2017 OE. While exploration hasn’t been as hot as it used to be, the finds this year have been big and plentiful. Wood Mackenzie has provided the year’s 10 biggest finds by volume…
Texas-based supermajor ExxonMobil has completed the acquisition of a 25% interest in Mozambique’s gas-rich Area 4 block from Italian explorer Eni and will assume responsibility for midstream operations, the company announced today (13 December)…
Kosmos Energy's Lamantin-1 exploration well on Block C-12 offshore Mauritania has disappointed. The well, drilled in 2200m water depth and to a total depth of 5150m, hit a water bearing reservoir with residual hydrocarbons. It is thought…
ExxonMobil is assessing commerciality of the Avestruz-1 well, which struck oil in Block EG-06 offshore Equatorial Guinea, the nation's Ministry of Mines, Industry and Energy said today (11 December). Drilled in October by the West Polaris drillship in around 3400ft (1050m) of water…
Norwegian geoscience frim Spectrum has started a 2D seismic survey offshore Mozambique, in partnership with WesternGeco, for the country's Institute of National Petroleum (INP) ahead of future licensing rounds. The seismic survey will cover up to 19…
Erin Energy has spud the Oyo Northwest (NW) well offshore Nigeria, the company announced today 6 December. Oyo-NW is a high-impact exploration well being drilled with the Pacific Bora, a sixth-generation drilling rig at offshore Nigeria block 120…
West Africa focused African Petroleum has inked an agreement with Sierra Leone's Petroleum Directorate to enter a second extension periods on ultra-deepwater licenses SL-03 and SL-4A-10. The work programs for both licenses, in 3000-3600m water depth and containing the Leo and Vega prospects…
Inpex and partners Muanda International Oil Company (MIOC) and Chevron have been given a 20-year extension for a concession agreement on a block offshore Congo. The agreement, with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo…
Total and Sonangol have reached an agreement for the second phase of development of the offshore Zinia field, paving the way for a final investment decision for the project. Pazflor FPSO. Photo from Sofec…
Pancontinental Oil & Gas has signed a petroleum agreement (PA) for its second block offshore Namibia. Under the agreement, the firm has committed to a four-year exploration program. Pancontinental also will become project operator with 75% interest in Block 2713 in the Orange Basin…
ExxonMobil will explore three deepwater blocks offshore Mauritania after signing production sharing contracts for them with the government of Mauritania. The company has acquired interests in Blocks C22, C17 and C14, which encompass almost 8…
Hess Corp. has completed the sale of its interests in offshore Equatorial Guinea to Kosmos Energy and Trident Energy for US$650 million. Hess’ exit from Equatorial Guinea comes after nearly two decades of operations at the Ceiba field and Okume complex…
Tullow oil is aiming to start drilling on the Cormorant prospect in the Walvis Basin offshore Namibia at the start of September next year [2018], according to partner Pancontinental. The Cormorant prospect, in about 550m water depth, is part of exploration license in PEL 37…
Global Petroleum's subsidiary Jupiter Petroleum says extra time given to assess its acreage offshore Namibia has given it chance to see more potential. The firm has been given an extension to its first renewal exploration period for License 29…
Ophir Energy has been given a 12-month extension on its Block R license, home to the Fortuna FLNG, offshore Equatorial Guinea, giving it more time to secure project funding ahead of making a final investment decision. Fortuna looks set to be Africa’s first deepwater FLNG project…