Drilling Mud News

 

Shell Picks Valaris Drillship for Work Offshore Brazil

Dec 12, 2025

Offshore drilling contractor Valaris has secured a multi-year contract with Shell for its VALARIS DS-8 drillship, which will be put to work offshore Brazil.The contract is expected to start in the first quarter of 2027, with an estimated duration of approximately 800 days.The total contract value for the VALARIS DS-8, a 2014-built Samsung 78k drillship, is approximately $300 million.The contract also includes options with a total estimated duration of approximately one year…

Deepsea Mira Semi-Sub Up for Shell’s Drilling Job off Namibia

Dec 12, 2025

Shell has booked Northern Ocean’s Deepsea Mira semi-submersible rig for a drilling campaign offshore Namibia.The Odfjell Drilling-managed rig has been scheduled to start operations in Namibia in April 2026.The contract covers one firm well and includes one optional well…

Shell to Launch Drilling Campaign Offshore Namibia

Dec 11, 2025

Shell is preparing to launch a new drilling campaign in the PEL 39 exploration block offshore Namibia from April 2026 with its partners QatarEnergy and Namibia's national oil company Namcor.Shell's Namibia country chair Eduardo Rodriguez said…

BP Produces First Oil from Gulf of America Platform Ahead of Schedule

Dec 11, 2025

BP has delivered first oil from the Atlantis Drill Center 1 expansion project in the U.S. Gulf of America, two months ahead of plan.The project is expected to add 15,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) gross peak annualized average production at the existing Atlantis platform…

VAALCO Energy Spuds First Well in New Drilling Campaign off Gabon

Dec 09, 2025

Africa-focused oil and gas company VAALCO Energy has started its phase three drilling program offshore Gabon with the spudding of the ET-15 infill well on the Etame platform.As previously announced, the company secured a drilling rig in December…

Equinor Secures Permit for North Sea Drilling Operation

Dec 09, 2025

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor a drilling permit for a wildcat well in the North Sea.The permit is for wellbore 35/11-32 S in production license 090 HS, operated by Equinor with 60% working interest.The other partners in license are Inpex Idemitsu Norge and Vår Energi…

Eni Makes Significant Gas Discovery Offshore Indonesia

Dec 09, 2025

Eni has made a significant gas discovery in the Konta-1 exploration well, drilled in the Muara Bakau production sharing contract (PSC), in the Kutei Basin, offshore Indonesia.Estimates indicate 600 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of gas initially in…

Borr and Ocean Oilfield to Buy Six Noble Rigs in $424M Transactions

Dec 09, 2025

Noble Corporation has signed definitive agreements to six jack-up rigs - five to Borr Drilling and one to Ocean Oilfield Drilling - in transactions valued at a combined $424 million.Noble said the move is aligned with the company’s strategy…

Transocean’s Ultra-Deepwater Drillship Up for $130M Australian Job

Dec 09, 2025

Offshore drilling contractor Transocean has signed a six-well contract with an undisclosed operator for its Deepwater Skyros drillship, offshore Australia.The estimated 320-day campaign is expected to start in the first quarter of 2027 and contribute approximately $130 million in backlog…

Oman’s Block 50 Offshore Drilling to Advance After $25M Funding Raise

Dec 08, 2025

Jasmine Energy has raised $25 million in senior secured bonds to support a new drilling campaign at the Yumna field in Block 50 offshore Oman, parent company Rex International Holding informed.The three-year bonds are expected to settle on December 12…

Equinor’s North Sea Wildcat Wells Yield Oil and Gas Discovery

Dec 05, 2025

Equinor and its partner Aker BP have discovered hydrocarbons in wildcat wells drilled in the North Sea.The gas/condensate discovery was made in the Lofn and Langemann prospects, part of  1140 production license, operated by Equinor with 60% working interest…

Oil Firms in Norway to Drill 18% Less Exploration Wells by 2026, Survey Finds

Dec 04, 2025

A survey on Thursday showed that oil firms in Norway are planning to drill 18% less exploration wells next, as they focus on existing fields. This could undermine the government's aim of maintaining production from Europe's biggest petroleum producer…

Vår Energi Makes Oil Find Near Goliat Field in Barents Sea

Dec 04, 2025

Vår Energi has confirmed an oil discovery in the Goliat North exploration well, located close to its operated Goliat field in the Barents Sea.  The exploration well located five kilometers north of the Goliat field encountered hydrocarbons in the Realgrunnen and Kobbe formations…

ADES Nets $63M Contract for Compact Driller Jack-Up off Brunei

Dec 01, 2025

ADES Holding has secured a two-year contract through its subsidiary Shelf Drilling for the Compact Driller standard jack-up with Brunei Shell Petroleum, a joint venture between the Brunei government and Shell.The Compact Driller deal mars ADES…

ADES Completes Acquisition of Shelf Drilling

Nov 26, 2025

Saudi Arabian oil and gas drilling contractor ADES International Holding has completed the acquisition of rival rig firm Shelf Drilling.The merger, concluded on November 2025, has created a global offshore drilling powerhouse, with the combined…

Current News

BOEM Initiates Process for Potential Mineral Lease Sale Offshore Virginia

BOEM Initiates Process for Pot

Jumbo Scoops Two Offshore Wind Contracts

Jumbo Scoops Two Offshore Wind

Wood Nets Long-Term Maintenance Contract for Rio Grande LNG Facility

Wood Nets Long-Term Maintenanc

TechnipFMC to Supply Subsea Systems for Chevron’s Gas Project off Australia

TechnipFMC to Supply Subsea Sy

Subscribe for OE Digital E‑News

 
Offshore Engineer Magazine