Suriname's oil agency Staatsolie has agreed to award a production sharing contract for offshore Block 59 to a consortium consisting of ExxonMobil, Hess and Statoil under the country's 'Open Door Policy.' Staatsolie has also reached an agreement with Statoil over Block 60…
Kosmos Energy is set to spud the Hippocampe well offshore Mauritania at the end of August, however, the Dallas-based company sees Suriname as its top opportunity. Map of Mauritania, from Kosmos…
Transocean seems to be shaping up with a busy quarter of reactivating rigs and extending contracts, as the offshore drilling contractor sets its sights on nearly 60 floater programs that could begin within the next 18 months. The Transocean Nautilus…
Tullow Oil has contracted US-driller Noble Corp. for an exploration well on its 'game changer' Araku prospect offshore Suriname, South America. Tullow has contracted the Noble Bob Douglas drillship from early October to early November…
Apache Corp. failed to hit commercial hydrocarbons at its Kolibrie-1 well, offshore Suriname. Kolibrie is in Block 53, about 80mi off Suriname. Block 53 covers an area of some 3509sq km, and it in 500-1800m water depth. Apache told…
Tullow Oil is planning a 2550sq km 3D seismic survey on the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana, close to ExxonMobil's giant Liza discovery with plans to drill on the block as early as next year. According to partner Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas…
All eyes may be on Guyana, but there’s plenty of other countries worthy of attention in South America. Audrey Leon surveys the current spike in exploration activity in the region. Image from Anadarko Petroleum’s Q4 Operations Report…
ExxonMobil has confirmed a new discovery offshore Guyana at the Snoek well, as the supermajor continues its efforts in the area by drilling the Liza-4 well. Image from Exxon. Exxon encountered more than 82ft (25m) of high-quality…
Independent explorer Tullow Oil is lining up a string of exploration projects this year, including targeting the 500 MMbo Araku prospect offshore Suriname in 2H this year. Other projects include seismic campaigns in Ghana, Jamaica and Uruguay…
Noble Energy is moving forward with the development of its giant Leviathan project offshore Israel, with first gas targeted for the end of 2019. Image of Tamar operations, from Delek Group. The estimated 22 Tcf gas field…
Norwegian oil firm Statoil has set out its plans to drill around 30 exploration wells, in up to 11 countries on five continents, as operator and partner, in 2017 - an increase of around 30% compared to 2016. More than half of the wells will be drilled on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS)…
Despite reductions in exploration spend, work goes on. Elaine Maslin speaks with Wood Mackenzie’s Andrew Latham to find out where explorers will aim their drillbits this year. Stena DrillMAX. Photo from Stena Drilling…
Tullow Oil is moving to get its Jubilee project offshore Ghana on track by year-end, as it firms up plans to divest all of its Norwegian assets by 1H 2017. Image from Tullow. “We…
Dallas-based Kosmos Energy posted a net loss of US$59.8 million in Q3, however, is moving forward with its plans for a multi-well drilling program next year. Image of the Atwood Achiever, from Atwood…
Quest Offshore, recently acquired by Wood Mackenzie in August, outlines the highlights of the global deepwater drilling market, region by region. Melissa Sustaita sets out the details. Top…