Exploration News

 

Wintershall ready for North Sea exploration

Feb 29, 2016

Wintershall is due to start drilling its latest exploration well on production license 248 in the North Sea, starting in March. The firm has been given consent to drill two wells, 35/8-6S and 35/8-6A, taking around 85 days, depending on whether a discovery is made…

Deepwater gas find for CNOOC

Feb 29, 2016

China's CNOOC has laid claim to the the country's first ultra-deepwater gas discovery in the northwestern part of the South China Sea. The Lingshui 18-1-1 exploration was drilled in 1688m (5538ft) water depth and has been certified as a discovery by the Ministry of Land & Resources…

Black Platinum to drill off Indonesia

Feb 26, 2016

Private equity funded Black Platinum Energy will move ahead with its plans for appraisal and development activities to prove up its shallow gas plays in East Natuna, offshore Indonesia, despite current industry conditions. Plans include drilling one exploration well…

Total moves in deepwater Sri Lanka

Feb 26, 2016

The government of Sri Lanka gas signed a joint study agreement (JSA) with French major Total covering two ultra-deep exploration blocks offshore its east coast.  The study's objective is to explore the two offshore blocks (JS5 and JS6) for hydrocarbons…

SOCO's Congo well dry

Feb 26, 2016

London-based SOCO International's Baobab Marine-1 commitment well is to be plugged and abandoned after finding no oil or gas.  The well was drilled on the Mer Profonde Sud Block, in the Lower Congo Basin, offshore Congo. Drilling…

Eni: Zohr a mega tank of natural gas

Feb 26, 2016

Italian oil major Eni has completed its first appraisal well on the giant Zohr gas discovery in the deep water Shorouk block offshore Egypt. The firm, which is now preparing for a well test, says the latest well on Zohr confirms the Zohr…

Brazil's Senate passes pre-salt bill

Feb 25, 2016

Brazil’s Senate passed a bill that could strip Petrobras of its role as sole operator of the country’s pre-salt fields. Image of José Serra, from Senado Federal Flickr.  Yesterday…

China offers 18 offshore blocks

Feb 25, 2016

A total of 18 blocks are up for bid for exploration in 2016 to international oil and gas companies wanting to partner with operator China National Offshore Oil Co. (CNOOC). Map of blocks up for bid…

Nearfield Oseberg discovery for Statoil

Feb 25, 2016

Statoil has made a small discovery about 5.5km west of the Oseberg South field in the central part of the Norwegian North Sea. The primary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Lower and Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Tarbert formation and upper part of the Statfjord group)…

Barents Sea Kvalross well disappoints

Feb 24, 2016

Wintershall's Kvalross exploration well in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea (Faroe 40%) is being abandoned after it was found to be non-commercial.  The well, 7224/2-1, was spudded on 11 January, and reached a total vertical depth of 2917m in the Lower Triassic Havert formation…

New Zealand data pack updated

Feb 23, 2016

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals, the government's petroleum permitting agency, has released its 2016 Petroleum Exploration Data Pack. This year’s data pack adds a number of new projects to the comprehensive compilation of open-file seismic and well data…

Vantage extends Total Congo contract

Feb 22, 2016

Houston's Vantage Drilling has signed an agreement for a two-year extension of the ultra-deepwater drillship Tungsten Explorer contract. The contract, initially signed in 2013, and running from mid-2014 for two years, is now anticipated…

Eni: 2017 Zohr start-up goal

Feb 22, 2016

Italian explorer Eni hopes to start production from the giant Zohr gas field offshore Egypt by the end of 2017, after being approved to take over the development lease from Egypt's national Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS). Zohr, described as Egypt's largest gas field to date…

New chairman for Hurricane

Feb 22, 2016

West of Shetland basement fractured reservoir explorer Hurricane Energy has a new non-executive chairman after John Hogan announced his plans to step down from the board on completion of a three-year stint in the role in March of this year…

BOEM to offer 45 million acres in GoM lease sales

Feb 19, 2016

Next month, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will offer some 45 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration in two lease sales, an increase of 2.2 million acres that was originally announced in September 2015…

Current News

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

Shell Picks Valaris Drillship for Work Offshore Brazil

Shell Picks Valaris Drillship

Subscribe for OE Digital E‑News

 
Offshore Engineer Magazine