BP and EnQuest signed a US$85 million deal that will see EnQuest take over operatorship and 25% stake in the Magnus oil field in the North Sea, with a future option to take full ownership of the field. Image from EnQuest…
W&T Offshore has received approval for a capex of US$125 million that will set up the Houston-based company to drill six to eight wells in the Gulf of Mexico this year, with its priority going to its Mahogany field. Image from iStock…
China’s CNOOC has revealed its 2017 business strategy and development plan that includes a total of five new projects set to come onstream, and a capex that could reach US$10.2 billion (RMB 70 billion). Image from CNOOC…
French oil major Total has awarded Prosafe a contract for the use of the Safe Caledonia semisubmersible accommodation vessel at the Elgin-Franklin Facility in the UK sector of the North Sea. The contract is for 134 days, with an additional…
The Thunder Horse South Expansion project, in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, has started up 11 months ahead of schedule, supermajor BP announced today (23 January). Illustration of the expansion at Thunder Horse…
Lundin is to take a non-cash impairment charge of US$632 million after deciding to take some 170 MMboe contingent resources in Malaysia and the Caspian Sea off its books. The Sweden-headquartered explorer said it was removing the resources…
Norwegian geoscience firm Spectrum has made an offer to acquire fellow Norwegian outfit MultiClient Geophysical for US$13.94 million (NOK 116 million). The offer trumps an earlier offer made by UK-based geoscience firm Geoex by about…
Houston-based Vaalco Energy restarted production at the Avouma 2-H well on the Avouma platform, offshore Gabon, after utilizing a hydraulic workover unit to replace a failed electric submersible pump (ESP) system. Gabon drill floor operations…
Natural resources consultancy Wood Mackenzie says it expects a modest recovery to the oil and industry in 2017, underpinned by an improving oil price. Growth opportunities, including frontier exploration, small project sanctions and increased M&A…
Cairn Energy is moving to further explore Senegal, and working towards first oil in the North Sea this year, in what the company calls an eventful period. The Kraken FPSO, from Cairn. “The…
Subsea contractor Subsea 7 has made an offer of nearly US$320 million to take over Dutch offshore firm Seaway Heavy Lifting by acquiring the 50% stake in the firm it currently doesn't own. Seaway Heavy Lifting is a specialist offshore…
Steve Hall is to replace Bob Allwood as CEO of the Society of Underwater Technology (SUT) this April, following Allwood's retirement after seven years in the post. Hall has been chairman of the SUT's Education and Training Committee for…
McDermott will exercise its option to purchase Oceanteam’s 25% ownership in the vessel-owning company North Ocean 105 AS by the end of April 2017, according to joint venture partner Oceanteam. Under McDermott’s main credit facility agreement…
UK Independent Serica Energy is targeting a development plan for the long-dormant North Sea Columbus field this year, the firm said today. Serica is also firming up plans to drill its Rowallan prospect in North Sea block 22/18c in 2018…
The UK’s i3 Energy is planning to list on the stock market after acquiring the UK North Sea Liberator oil discovery, which it hopes to potentially bring to development this year. Liberator is immediately adjacent to the producing Blake field…