On 20 May 2015, ExxonMobil (45% and operator) announced a discovery at its Liza-1 well on the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. The well was spud on 5 March and drilled to an Upper Cretaceous fan play at a depth of 5433m in 1743m of water.…
According to Guyanese Online, Reuters, MercoPress and other news organizations, an ExxonMobil subsidiary and its partners have discovered hydrocarbons offshore Guyana, but the Guyanese government reports that it is not sure if the discovery can be confirmed in commercial quantities…
New York-headquartered Hess says it is cutting its 2015 capital and exploration budget by 16%, compared to 2014, to US$4.7 billion. While the firm said most of the cash (45%/$2.1 billion) would be spent on its unconventional shale resources…
Canada's CGX Energy said the jackup rig slated to spud its offshore Guyana prospect is due to be completed by end of January 2015. The Hakuryu-12 jackup drilling rig, soon to be part of Japan Drilling Co.'s fleet, is currently under construction in Singapore at PPL Shipyard…
CGX Energy Inc. entered into a seismic contract with Prospector PTE. Ltd. to conduct a 3116.74sq km 3D seismic survey on Demerara Block, offshore Guyana. The contract represents one of the most extensive 3D seismic studies ever conducted…
Toronto-based, South American-focused explorer Pacific Rubiales Energy has entered into a three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mexico's state oil firm Pemex, the company announced on 17 October. Pacific Rubiales said the…
Staatsolie, Suriname’s state-oil company, is offering three deepwater blocks through a competitive bid round. The blocks for bid include offshore blocks 58, 59 and 60, which lie east of Suriname in the Suriname-Guyana basin. The Suriname…
Guyana's government information agency (GINA) reported that Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud said that offshore exploration in areas being contested by neighbouring Venezuela is facing “some setbacks”. Responding…
CGX Energy Inc. announced the completion of reprocessing and merging of existing seismic surveys from the company’s 100% owned Corentyne petroleum prospecting license (PPL) offshore Guyana. The results of the reprocessing have assisted in…
Several Caribbean countries are embroiled in bitter maritime border disputes. Sarah Parker Musarra examines the history behind two of Latin America’s most-monitored maritime clashes. Research vessel RV Teknik Perdana was conducting a…
The government of Guyana says the Venezuelan navy has detained the crew of a seismic acquisition vessel in waters disputed by the two South American nations. The Panama-flagged RV Teknik Perdana was acquiring a multi-beam geophysical survey in the Roraima concession block…
RWE in Suriname RWE Dea signed a farm-in agreement with Petronas Suriname E&P BV, acquiring 40% interest in Block 52 off Suriname. The block is in the Guyana-Suriname Basin 120km off the northeast coast of South America in 100-1,000m deep water and has potential in Upper Cretaceous strata…
RWE Dea has signed a farm-in agreement with Petronas Suriname E&P BV, acquiring a 40% interest in the Block 52 license off Suriname. Under the farm-in agreement which is subject to completion, RWE Dea will acquire a 40% stake in the 4743sq km license…
A rising tide of seismic demand has quite suddenly changed the conversation in the marine seismic community. Andrew McBarnet explains why.It’s amazing sometimes how quickly the clouds can clear. Just a month or two ago marine seismic companies were forecasting another flat year…
Differing perspectives on the African exploration & production scene were offered during IP Week in London last month, with Tullow Oil and Afren describing their respective approaches to the continent and Equatorial Guinea's energy ministry updating the republic's offshore developments to date…