Private equity back UK explorer Azinor Catalyst says success on a planned exploration well in Scotland's Outer Moray Firth could change industry perception of what is an under-explored part of the Moray Firth. The firm is planning a well on its Partidge prospect in the Outer Moray Firth…
Azinor Catalyst signed an agreement to acquire a 50% operated interest in UKCS license P.2243, containing Block 14/17a from Zennor North Sea. Map from Azinor Catalyst. The license is adjacent to Azinor’s Partridge licence P…
Statoil has confirmed to the Oil and Gas Authority that it will drill a well on the Verbier prospect in the North Sea, in summer 2017, according to partner Jersey Oil & Gas. Jersey says the prospect, which is in production license 2170…
Statoil has started work planning a well on the Verbier prospect in the UK North Sea, according to partner Jersey Oil & Gas (JOG). The Fugro Galaxy survey vessel has arrived in the Verbier license under contract to Statoil, ahead of a potential exploration drilling program…
The Irish Minister of Energy has granted consent to Europa Oil & Gas for the transfer of interest in and operatorship of, Frontier (FEL) 2/13 and 3/13 from Kosmos Energy Ireland. Europa now has 100% interest in, and is operator of seven licenses in the Atlantic basins offshore Ireland…
This year, the deepwater drilling record could be broken not just once, but twice, breaking the last record, set back in 2013. Elaine Maslin takes a look. Total’s Raya-1 well is due to be drilled offshore Uruguay using Maersk Oil’s ultra…
Smith Bits, a Schlumberger company, has released the AxeBlade ridged diamond element bit, which incorporates new-geometry Axe ridged diamond elements across the bit face. AxeBlade bits are designed to improve rate of penetration (ROP) in…
Elaine Maslin examines some of the potential uses for nanoscale manufacturing in the oil and gas industry. Image provided by Repsol. Source: 'Commercial scale production of inorganic nanoparticles…
A year on since the oil price collapse and the effects are making themselves felt across Northwest Europe, particularly in the UK and Norwegian sectors. The count of exploration and appraisal well spuds in the UK is an all-time low…
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has cleared the proposed multi-billion dollar merger between Schlumberger and Cameron International without any conditions, both companies announced in a joint statement on Wednesday (18 November). The…
Technavio has published a new report on the global drill bits in oil and gas industry, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 4% from 2015-2019. The company says that the persistent decline in prices during the forecast period…
For OE, 2015 is a milestone year – it’s our 40th anniversary. We share that milestone with one of the world’s most iconic oil fields – the UK North Sea Forties field. Elaine Maslin charts the field’s history and finds out what the future holds…
Driven by the rapid expansion of shale oil and gas drilling, and production in North America, the world market for oil field specialty chemicals at the service company level reached US$25 billion in 2014, up from nearly $16 billion in 2010…
Drilling to further grow the resources around the Njord field in the Norwegian Sea has started, with more expected this year, helping firm up plans for the greater Njord area, according to partner Faroe Petroleum. Concept selection for…
The North Sea operation of a global independent energy company has just completed a contract and was the first to use what is believed to be the world’s largest oilfield drilling bit. Varel Oil & Gas Dill Bits was commissioned by Hess Corp…