The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Statoil a drilling permit for wildcat well 7435/12-1 in the Barents Sea. Map of 7435/12-1, from NPD. Well 7435/12-1 in production…
CIMC Raffles has started sea trials for the ultra-deepwater drilling rig Blue Whale II, following the completion equipment testing. The sea trials are expected to last for three weeks. Designed to operate in water depths of 3658m and drill to depths of up to 15…
Rouge Rock has formally notified Melbana Energy of the exercise of its options to acquire a 45% participating interest in the AC/P50 and AC/P51 exploration permits in the Vulcan sub-basin off the North West coast of Australia. Map of AC/P50 and AC/P51…
Tullow Oil has revealed its plans for the rest of the year to drill offshore Suriname, and resuming at the Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme (TEN) fields offshore Ghana. Image from Tullow Oil. In the company’s half year 2017 report…
ExxonMobil has discovered additional oil at a Payara appraisal well offshore Guyana, upping the ultra deepwater discovery's resources to about 500 MMboe. Map of Stabroek, from Exxon. The…
With US lawmakers prepared to hit Russia with more sanctions*, the domestic oil and gas industry is bracing for what potential impacts may come. Karen Boman lays out concerns voiced at a July Atlantic Council Event. [*Update] The US Senate…
Island Constructor. Image from Island Offshore. Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has granted Norske Shell consent to use the Island Constructor mobile drilling facility for the start-up of well 6407/9-G-5 on the Draugen field…
Global energy services and technology company AGR, has signed a SaaS (software as a service) contract with Dana Gas PJSC to supply the latest version of its P1 software for deepwater exploration efforts offshore Egypt. Petter Mathisen…
Petrobras has awarded Subsea 7 extensions for three pipelay support vessels (PLSVs) currently on long-term day-rate contracts offshore Brazil, with a total combined value of about US$250 million. The firm contract periods for the Seven Waves…
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Statoil a drilling permit for wells 6507/8-9 and 6507/8-U2 in the Norwegian Sea. The wells will be drilled with the Deepsea Bergen drilling facility, after concluding the drilling…
SolstadFarstad has secured a contract with Cooper Energy to support drilling operations within the Bass Strait region of Australia. The contract consists of the Far Statesman and Far Senator towing the Ocean Monarch from the North West Shelf of Australia to the Bass Strait…
Quadrant Energy has agreed a contract with Transocean to drill the Phoenix South-3 well in the WA-435-P exploration permit on the North-West Shelf of Australia. Drilling is due to start between 1 February and 1 April 2018 using the GSF Development Driller-1…
Statoil and partners Eni and Petoro have made a small gas discovery in the Blåmann well, between the Snøhvit and Goliat fields in the Barents Sea, despite having been looking for oil. The Songa Enabler…
Total has hired Noble Corp.'s Noble Globetrotter II to drill one well offshore Bulgaria, beginning in September. Noble Globetrotter II. Image from Noble. The contract is estimated…
ExxonMobil is preparing exploration activities offshore Suriname, after signing a production sharing contract (PSC) with Suriname’s national oil company Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname NV for deepwater Block 59. Image from Exxon…