Deepsea Stavanger. Image from Odfjell. Total E&P South Africa has awarded Odfjell Drilling a one well plus one optional well to be drilled by the sixth generation semisubmersible…
Norwegian oil major Statoil is preparing to spud the first of a three-well exploration campaign, including the high-impact Verbier prospect, on the UK Continental Shelf. Early this month, the Transocean Spitsbergen semisubmersible drilling rig will spud the first well…
A drill stem test (DST) on the Brasse well in the Norwegian North Sea has shown high flow rates and excellent reservoir properties, says UK-based independent Faroe Petroleum. The Brasse appraisal program will now continue with the drilling of a side-track well…
Statoil and partners ENI and Petoro have made a 25-50 MMboe oil discovery in the Kayak exploration well in the Barents Sea, close to the Johan Castberg project. Eni said preliminary estimates of the size of the discovery are between 100 and 180 MMbo in place (25–50 MMbo recoverable)…
HWCG’s David Coatney stresses the importance of developing comprehensive response plans to prevent deepwater blowouts. Photo from HWCG. To respond to future offshore deepwater drilling incidents…
India's Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC) has agreed to a three-year contract to Vantage Drilling for use of the ultra-deepwater drillship Platinum Explorer offshore India. The Platinum Explorer is due to mobilize to India in Q4 2017…
Island Drilling has been awarded a drilling contract with OMV Norge for one well on the Wisting license in the Norwegian Barents Sea. OMV will use the Island Innovator semisubmersible drilling rig, starting in Q3 this year. The Island Innovator is currently in warm lay-up at Hanøytangen…
Maersk Drilling is bringing back the Maersk Resolve high efficiency jackup into operation after being warm stacked for a one-well deal offshore UK for Wintershall Noordzee. Maersk Resolve. From Maersk Drilling…
Aker BP has drilled a dry hole close to the Volund field in the Norwegian North Sea, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). Well 24/9-11 S was drilled using the Transocean Arctic semisubmersible drilling rig in 122m water depth…
Russia's Rosneft says it has made a new oil discovery in the Laptev Sea, in the Russian Arctic. Rosneft says the Tsentralno-Olginskaya-1 well is the first in the Laptev Sea, and the northernmost exploratory well on the Eastern Arctic shelf…
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…
JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration (Malaysia) started gas production from the Layang Field, offshore Malaysia, with an estimated 12,000 boe/d. Map from JX Nippon. Layang is about 7km east of the producing Helang Gas Field in Block SK10…
Energy XXI Gulf Coast (EGC) has spudded its first well of the year at West Delta 30 off the coast of Louisiana, as the company announced an 18% workforce reduction. Image of West Delta operations…
Lukoil has completed the fifth production well for the Vladimir Filanovsky field in the Caspian Sea, and is constructing a sixth well to be used for water injection. Photo source: Lukoil The…
Erin Energy is expecting to double its production by 6000-7000 b/d with help from the Oyo field offshore Nigeria, as the company plans to accelerate drilling in the area. The Pacific Bora, from Pacific Drilling…