Beijing-based China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC)’s 2016 business and development plan shows a slight reduction of about 5% when compared to 2015 due to continued challenges with low oil prices. Image of CNOOC's Golden Eagle…
Oil prices have been extremely volatile since the first trading day of 2016 and hit 12-year lows last week with Brent dropping below US$33/bbl for the first time since 2005. The fall in the Chinese manufacturing index, the Saudi-Iran…
Shell has cleared the final regulatory approval for its US$70 billion acquisition of BG Group, after receiving 'unconditional merger clearance' from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). This approval from China is the final regulatory…
China National Offshore Oil (CNOOC) signed a production sharing contract (PSC) with Husky Oil Operations (China) for Block 15/33 in the South China Sea. Block 15/33 is located in the Pearl River Mouth Basin of the South China Sea. The…
Using steam to help increase oil recovery, particularly from heavy oil, is a well tried and tested technology, but not quite so offshore. Elaine Maslin looks at a bid to change that. Images from The Steam Oil Production Co…
The Roc Oil and CNOOC-led joint venture spudded the WZ 12-8W-A6P1 appraisal well, in Beibu Gulf, offshore China, according to parnter Horizon Oil. Map from Horizon Oil. The well is located in the Weizhou 12-8 fields area…
Primeline Energy Holdings has started drilling operations on the LS30-3-1 well in the East China Sea. Following the plug and abandon operation of LS23-1-1 announced 28 October, Primeline’s contractor, China Oilfield Service Ltd. (COSL)…
Husky Energy has installed the jacket and wellhead platform for the Madura Strait BD gas-condensate field development, offshore Indonesia. Development drilling is expected to started soon, at the 55m water depth site, and the project remains on target for first production in 2017…
Heather Saucier speaks with Mark Randolph and Susan Gourvenec, professors at the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, about deepwater geotechnical challenges, such as complex carbonates found off the coast of Australia…
Primeline Energy’s LS23-1-1 well showed little potential for commercial production, offshore China. The company will now continue with the exploration drilling program for the LS30-3-1. Image from Primeline…
Dana Petroleum's Western Isles floating production unit will not be on stream until late 2017, some two years later than originally planned, it was confirmed today. In a statement, China's Cosco Corp (Singapore) said it and a European…
China’s CNOOC discovered a mid-sized oilfield at the Caofeidian 6-4 oil structure, offshore China. Bohai map. From CNOOC. The Caofeidian 6-4 structure is located in the western…
No hydrocarbon show at the ROC Oil-operated block 09/05 in the Bohai Bay basin in China, says joint venture partner AWE Ltd. The well, QK12-3-1D, which is now preparing for abandonment, is the second of the two planned exploration wells in the block…
Brazilian giant Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) entered into a US$2 billion deal with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Leasing (ICBC) for a finance lease on two existing platforms. Image from Petrobras…
London-listed oil and gas industry service provider Petrofac is facing legal action from a Chinese yard after terminating a construction contract for its newbuild JSD 6000 deepwater multi-purpose offshore vessel. Petrofac says the termination…