Oman's Ministry of Oil & Gas (MOG) has announced an oil and exploration bid round which includes two blocks offshore. The two offshore blocks 18, 59 are being opened to bidders alongside onshore blocks 43A, 54, 58. Block 18 is in…
TGS is to start Snipe Phase 52, a new long-offset 2D multi-client survey in the ultra-deep water, US Central Gulf of Mexico in Q3 this year. The survey, which will take about 100 days, will include 12,000km of data exending to the US-Mexico international boundary…
A consortium composed of BHP Billiton and BG International won blocks in the recent Trinidad and Tobago offshore bid round, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs (MEEA) announced. MEEA awarded BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty Ltd. and BG International Ltd…
Galp Energia will plug and abandon its Tao-1 exploration well in the Tarfaya block offshore Morocco after encountering unfavorable reservoir quality in the Trident objective, partner Tangiers Petroleum announced on 4 August 2014. The…
China’s BGP Pioneer completed Perenco Oil & Gas Gabon 3D seismic acquisition project of approximately 1500sq km offshore Gabon. The project included undershoot operations between platforms and was to be run in water depth varying between depth between 15 to 55m…
The Mariner development concept. Images from Statoil. The Mariner heavy oil field took 40 years, 12 oil companies, five seismic surveys, and 18 exploration/appraisal wells to get to where it is today…
The Cygnus Alpha wellhead platform during installation offshore. Photo from GDF Suez E&P. A new impetus to explore the UK North Sea could help to unlock some of the basins’ underexplored plays…
Sander Vergroesen, IRO’s managing director Dutch offshore suppliers are innovating to keep ahead, providing solutions in ever deeper and colder waters globally. IRO’s Sander Vergroesen spoke to Elaine Maslin…
TGS announced it will conduct three new multi-client surveys; a 3D survey offshore Australia, a 2D survey offshore New Zealand and a 3D survey in the West of Shetland region. Nerites Season 2 is the largest 3D survey TGS has acquired to date in the Asia Pacific region and will cover 13…
SeaBird Exploration Plc announced that the survey vessel, Aquila Explorer, received a letter of award for a 2D seismic survey in Australasia. The survey will cover a minimum of 10,000km and will have an estimated value of approximately US$11 million…
Canada’s Antrim Energy Inc. announced that recent evaluations have shown frontier exploration license (FEL) 1/13 in the Porcupine basin off Ireland’s west coast to contain what could be massive resources: an estimated unrisked prospective resource potential of 1…
Portugal-based Galp Energia’s recent drilling campaign at the Tao-1 exploration well in the Tarfaya block off Morocco was unsuccessful, partner Tangiers Petroleum announced 28 July 2014. Australian-based Tangiers Petroleum, which holds 25% interest in the Tarfaya block…
A 2D seismic acquisition program has started in the Kara Sea, said Russia's Rosneft, a partner with ExxonMobil in the area. The program started 24 July using the research vessel Geolog Dmitry Nalivkin. The survey, covering 7000sq km…
Launched in 2010, CGG’s Oceanic Vega is a purpose-built high-capacity seismic vessel optimized for reduced noise and fuel consumption. It carries DNV-CLEAN notation for the lowest environmental impact. Photo from CGG…
A July 2014 poll revealed that if the US produced more oil and natural gas, it would greatly benefit job creation, increase government revenue and strengthen national security. API and Harris Interactive Poll According to a recent…