Shelf Drilling News


Equinor Finds Oil in Norwegian Sea

Jan 19, 2026

Equinor and its partners have proven oil in a wildcat well in the Norwegian Sea, drilled by COSL's COSL Innovator semi-submersible drilling rig.The wildcat well 6507/8-12 S, in production license 124 B, tested the ‘Othello South’ prospect, 4…

Norway Grants Permit for Equinor’s Drilling Op in North Sea

Jan 16, 2026

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) has granted Equinor a drilling permit for wildcat well in the North Sea.The permit is for a wellbore 34/8-A-37 H in production license 120, which is operated by Equinor with 53.2% working interest.The partners in the license include Petoro with 30% stake…

Vår Energi’s Well Tests Boost Potential of Barents Sea Discovery

Jan 16, 2026

Vår Energi has completed the appraisal well with two production tests on the Zagato structure in the Goliat Ridge discovery in the Barents Sea, confirming reservoir quality and adding recoverable volumes.The well was drilled approximately seven…

DNV Approves ModuSpec’s BOP Monitoring Tech for Offshore Use

Jan 15, 2026

ModuSpec, MR Group’s rig and well control equipment solutions business, has received Technology Qualification from classification society DNV for its blowout preventer (BOP) real-time monitoring capabilities, clearing the way for wider deployment…

Woodside to Supply LNG to JERA During Japan's Winter Peak

Jan 15, 2026

Woodside Energy Trading Singapore has signed a sale and purchase agreement with Japan’s JERA for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) during Japan’s peak winter period, strengthening long-term LNG supply arrangements between the two companies…

Second Gas Discovery Confirmed at ConcoPhillips’s Otway Basin Well off Australia

Jan 14, 2026

Gas has been confirmed at the Charlemont-1 exploration well offshore Victoria, operated by ConocoPhillips, following the successful recovery of a gas sample that validates the Charlemont Trend in Australia’s Otway Basin.Australia’s 3D Energi…

Norway Awards 57 New Oil And Gas Licenses to 19 Companies

Jan 13, 2026

Norway has offered ownership interests in 57 new oil and gas production licenses to 19 companies in its latest annual awards in pre-defined areas (APA) licensing round.Of the 57 licenses, 31 are located in the North Sea, 21 in the Norwegian Sea and five in the Barents Sea…

Akrake Targets Late-January Production Start Up at Benin Offshore Field

Jan 12, 2026

Akrake Petroleum, an indirect subsidiary of Rex International, is expected to start oil production at the Sèmè Field offshore Benin by the end of January, following completion of drilling operations on a key production well.Rex said production…

Saipem’s Jack-Up Rig Goes Back to Work with Aramco off Saudi Arabia

Jan 09, 2026

Italian offshore services firm Saipem has informed that its jack-up rig Perro Negro 7 will resume operations off Saudi Arabia for Aramco, starting January 2026.The contract for Perro Negro 7 was awarded to Saipem in 2011 and extended in June 2023 for 10 years…

ANP Halts Petrobras Drilling at Foz do Amazonas Basin After Fluid Leak

Jan 08, 2026

Brazilian oil regulator ANP has halted Petrobras from restarting offshore drilling at the Foz do Amazonas basin until it provides information on what caused a synthetic fluid to leak in the waters of the environmentally sensitive region, documents seen by Reuters show…

Equinor Hands Out $10B in Supplier Contracts

Jan 08, 2026

Equinor has awarded framework agreements worth around $9.93 billion (NOK 100 billion) to seven supplier companies, laying the groundwork for maintenance and modification work at its offshore installations and onshore plants in Norway over the coming years…

Equinor’s AI Drive Yields $130M in Savings as Digitalization Advances

Jan 07, 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) contributed savings and value creation of about $130 million for Equinor and its partners in 2025, as the Norwegian firm expanded the use of AI across offshore platforms and onshore facilities.The company uses artificial…

Probable Gas Found in All Target Reservoirs at ConocoPhillips' Otway Well

Jan 07, 2026

ConocoPhillips has identified probable gas across all targeted Waarre sandstone reservoirs at its Charlemont-1 exploration well in Australia’s Otway Basin, resuming drilling after an earlier pressure-related pause before suspending operations again due to higher-than-anticipated formation pressures…

Petrobras Halts Drilling in Environmentally Sensitive Area After Fluid Leak

Jan 06, 2026

A synthetic fluid leak of about 15 cubic meters (15,000 liters) has halted Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras' drilling of a well in the environmentally sensitive Foz do Amazonas Basin, the company said on Tuesday.In a statement, Petrobras…

Halliburton Launches Shankless Matrix-Body Drill Bit to Cut Well Time

Jan 06, 2026

U.S. oilfield services provider Halliburton has introduced the HyperSteer MX directional drill bit, a shankless matrix-body bit designed to improve durability, enhance directional control, and reduce well construction time.The new bit delivers longer drilling runs…

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