CGGVeritas Services SA began a marine 3D seismic survey over Karoon Gas Australia’s WA-482-P permit area in the Northern Carnarvon Basin. The survey will cover about 2386sq km and will define leads and prospects first identified on existing 2D and 3D seismic data…
Sabah Shell Petroleum Co. Ltd. received a semisubmersible floating production system (FPS) for Malaysia’s Gumusut-Kakap deepwater field offshore Sabah. The FPS was handed over to Sabah Shell in early June and is installed in about 1200m water depth…
Salamander Energy plc began its six-well exploration program in block G4/50, Gulf of Thailand. The first well, G4/50-4, was spudded at the end of June. It is being drilled on the Rayong prospect in the northeast section of the block in the central Kra sub-basin…
China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) signed a PSC with PetroBroad Copower Ltd. for block 28/03 in the Pearl River Mouth Basin. Block 28/03 covers 68sq km with 95m water depth. PetroBroad will acquire 3D seismic surveys and drill exploration wells during the exploration period…
Rosneft began seismic acquisition over license blocks Lisyansky, Kashevarovsky, and Magadan-1 in the Sea of Okhotsk off eastern Russia. The company is gathering 2D seismic along with a gravity and magnetic survey, using the Academik Fersman seismic vessel…
Transocean Ltd. announced that the ultra-deepwater drillship Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1 set a new world record for the deepest water depth by an offshore drilling rig. The drillship spudded a well in 10,411ft (3,174m) water depth, while drilling off India’s east coast for ONGC…
North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) began work to start production of Kashagan field in the Caspian Sea. The first phase will see production from eight wells on an artificial island complex. Wells, pipelines, and the Bolashak Onshore Processing facility have been completed…
BG Group has made a natural gas discovery in the Ngisi-1 well in Block 4 off Tanzania. The well, drilled by the Deepsea Metro 1 drillship, appraised the Chewa gas field resulting in an upgrade in estimated recoverable resources in the block…
Eco Oil & Gas (Atlantic) is planning seismic surveys after receiving a one-year extension on two exploration licenses off Namibia. The extension to the Guy (2111B & 2211A) and Sharon (2213A & 2213B) licenses, both in the Walvis basin, will…
CNR International signed a production sharing contract (PSC) for Block CI-12 off Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), with a 60% working interest. CNR International will operate the block, located west of the company’s Espoir and Baobab fields, in 250-300m water depths…
A consortium of three companies has made a successful bid for an exploration concession on the Patraikos block, off western Greece. Hellenic Petroleum (operator), Petroceltic International, and Edison International, will each hold a one-third working interest in the concession…
Cairn Energy will to drill an appraisal well on its Spanish Point discovery off western Ireland using the semi Blackford Dolphin in 2Q 2014. Spanish Point is a gas and condensate field in license FEL 2/04 developed by Phillips in 1981. It…
Woodside Petroleum acquired its first offshore exploration acreage in northwest Europe with its agreement to farm-in to three license options in the Atlantic Porcupine Basin. Woodside will become operator of all three licensing options, subject to regulatory approval…
Petrobras set a new presalt production record in May 2013 with output of 322,100bo/d, an 11,000bo/d increase from its previous record of 311,500bo/d set the prior month. The company also achieved record output in Espírito Santo, with a monthly average figure of 322…
BHP Billiton the signed four production sharing contracts (PSC) with Trinidad and Tobago for four deepwater blocks that the company won in December. The PSCs cover Trinidad and Tobago Deep Atlantic Area (TTDAA) blocks 5, 6, 28 and 29. TTDAA acreage (40…