Maersk Drilling has named its latest ultra harsh environment jackup drilling rig, the Maersk Intrepid, ahead of its first deployment development drilling on the Martin Linge field offshore Norway. Maersk Intrepid is the first…
Houston-based UTEC Survey Inc. provided survey services aboard the Ocean Spur jackup rig for rig move operations in Amistad Field, Gulf of Guayaquil, offshore Ecuador. The survey work was staffed and project managed from UTEC’s Houston headquarters…
A new tax break for high-pressure, high-temperature fields in the UK North Sea has been overshadowed by a move by the UK Government to change to taxes on drilling rigs. The move, relating to bare-boat chartering, “perplexed” industry…
Drilling and well services firm Archer has won a contract to provide drilling services to Talisman Sinopec Energy UK Limited. The contract will be the first to use the Archer Emerald modular rig on the UK Continental Shelf. The Archer…
ConocoPhillips Norge is due to start a multi-year drilling campaign on the Greater Ekofisk area, offshore Norway, this Spring, as it seeks to continue production from the Ekofisk and Eldfisk fields for decades. The campaign follows start up on the Ekofisk South development…
Statoil and co-venturer ExxonMobil have carried out a successful first drill stem test on their Tanzania Block 2 offshore discovery Zafarani-2. The data acquired will help reduce technical uncertainties in a possible future Tanzania offshore and LNG development…
Det norske oljeselskap is to plug and abandon its exploration well on the Langlitinden prospect after getting disappointing results. The well was the first well in Barents Sea production license 659. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said the well…
The Baker Hughes rig count for the week ending 28 Feb reported that the US is down two rigs from last week to 1769. Both of the rigs were drilling offshore, bringing the total to 55—and a year over year increase of three. Land-based rigs…
Sembcorp Marine's subsidiary PPL Shipyard has signed a turnkey jackup rig contract worth US$214.3 million with Marco Polo Drilling Pte. Ltd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Marco Polo Marine Ltd., as well as the grant of an option…
Maersk Drilling has taken delivery of its first ultra-deepwater drillship, Maersk Viking (pictured), from the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in Geoje-Si, South Korea. Maersk Viking has started its voyage to the US Gulf of Mexico…
Seadrill Ltd. has finalized contracts for four jackup drilling rigs for use by Mexico's national oil company Pemex Exploracion y Produccion, with a fifth due to be agreed in 2Q. The contracts are for the jackup drilling units West Oberon…
UK-based explorer Ophir Energy has started drilling operations on the Padouck Deep-1 well on the Ntsina Block, offshore Gabon, using the Vantage Titanium Explorer drillship. Padouck Deep-1 is the first well targeting the pre-salt play offshore in the North Gabon basin…
Dubai-based rig builder Lamprell has completed construction on the jackup drilling rig Qarnin (pictured) and its delivery to Abu Dhabi’s National Drilling Company (NDC). The on time and on budget completion was marked at a ceremony held at Lamprell’s Hamriyah facility in the UAE February 13…
Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), has secured contracts to build three high-specification KFELS B Class jackup rigs worth about US$650 million from Fecon International Corp (Fecon)…
Norway-based offshore marine and engineering consultancy Aqualis Offshore has opened a new office in Bahrain. Aqualis already has offices in Dubai, UAE (regional headquarters), and Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East. “The primary…