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…
Sarah Parker Musarra spoke with FTO Services’ Vidar Sten-Halvorsen to learn more about the new Island Performer intervention vessel, a product of the joint venture between FMC Technologies and Edison Chouest Offshore. The Island Constructor…
Halliburton’s Landmark Software and Services acquired Neftex Petroleum Consultants Ltd. Neftex is a UK-based company specializing in sequence stratigraphy-based products and consulting for subsurface risk reduction. Neftex’s consistent…
FAR Ltd. reported that the Cairn-operated FAN-1 exploration well resumed drilling on the North Fan prospect in 1500m water depth, offshore Senegal on 28 July. Drilling to date has reached 3000m with a planned TD of approximately 5300m using Transocean’s fifth-generation semisubmersible…
The Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) launched the 5th Philippine Energy Contracting Round (PECR5) on 9 May 2014, and scheduled international roadshows in Texas (12-16 May 2014), Singapore (10-14 June 2014), and Turkey (14-17 September…