Statoil has said its three-well exploration campaign in the Hoop area of the Barents Sea has failed to make a commercial discovery after completing its final wildcat well on the Mercury prospect. Well 7324/9-1 on the Mercury prospect was in license 614 in the Barents Sea offshore Norway…
The Liberian Government and the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) have launched its latest Liberia Basin Bid Round. The round opened 5 August for three months to 31 October 2014. It comprises four undrilled offshore petroleum exploration blocks - LB-6…
Oman's Ministry of Oil & Gas (MOG) has announced an oil and exploration bid round which includes two blocks offshore. The two offshore blocks 18, 59 are being opened to bidders alongside onshore blocks 43A, 54, 58. Block 18 is in…
Oil & Gas UK's Q2 2014 Business Sentiment Index has revealed that industry optimism has fallen for the fifth consecutive quarter, but remains positive, just, at two points above zero on the -50 to +50 index. The industry body described…
Marathon Oil is due to spud an exploration well on the Key Largo prospect, on Walker Ridge Block 578, Gulf of Mexico, in Q3. It will be the first well drilled with a new-build deepwater drillship. Marathon Oil is operator and holds a 60% working interest in the prospect…
Lundin Petroleum has announced a successful initial appraisal campaign offshore Malaysia and the start of drilling on a new exploration well in the Barents Sea. The Barents well is exploration well 7220/11-1 in PL609 in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea…
Serica Energy has completed a farm out on UK East Irish Sea Blocks 113/26b and 113/27c (License P.1482) with Centrica, through its subsidiary Hydrocarbon Resources Limited (HRL). Under the agreement, HRL has acquired an operated 45% interest in the license…
Mexico-focused junior explorer MX Oil plc reported on 1 August 2014 that it has established a joint venture with Geo Estratos SA de CV, an established oil services business in Mexico, that MX describes as 'potentially transformational' for the company…
Africa focused explorer Bowleven's Etinde Exploitation Authorisation (EA) has been formally signed by the President of Cameroon, paving the way for the firm to develop the Etinde area. The EA gives Bowleven and its partners, which will include SNH…
Eni made a gas and condensates discovery in the Nyonie Deep exploration prospect in block D4, about 13km from the coast of Gabon. ENI estimates initial potential in place is 500MMboe. The discovery was made in the pre-salt of Gabon through the NFW Nyonie Deep 1 well…
The Mariner development concept. Images from Statoil. The Mariner heavy oil field took 40 years, 12 oil companies, five seismic surveys, and 18 exploration/appraisal wells to get to where it is today…
The Cygnus Alpha wellhead platform during installation offshore. Photo from GDF Suez E&P. A new impetus to explore the UK North Sea could help to unlock some of the basins’ underexplored plays…
The J-Lay test rig applies a 20 te vertical load via the rollers whilst pulling the product through. Image from Trelleborg Offshore. Specifying the right vortex induced vibration…
Work on a Heinen & Hopman HVAC system. Photo from Heinen & Hopman. Energy efficiency is high on the agenda for both Arctic exploration and in general. Elaine Maslin found out more…
The Leman compression module at HSM Offshore, Schiedam. Photos from HSM Offshore. HSM Offshore has added new contracts to its order book, but more could be done by the industry to reduce costs and more efficiently use assets…
Subscribe
