Spain's Repsol has been given the green light to drill a well on the Napoleon North license in the Norwegian Sea using the Transocean Spitsbergen Drilling rig. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate says well 6705/7-1, targeting the Stordal prospect…
Cairn Energy's latest well on the SNE (Shelf North Edge) field offshore Sengal has reached total depth, at 2852m, says partner FAR Ltd. Wireline logging operations have been completed on the SNE-5 appraisal well, in Senegal's Sangomar Deep block…
Russia's Gazprom Neft is set to drill the first exploration well on the Ayashsky Block in the Sea of Okhotsk after signing a contract for use of a Japanese drilling rig. Gazprom acquired a license for the exploration, development and…
Sakhalin Energy Investment Co. awarded KCA Deutag a four-year contract extension for platform drilling services on three platforms offshore Sakhalin Island in Russia. The contract extension is effective from 1 June 2017 to 31 May 2021…
The SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition returns next month on 14-16 March 2017 at the Hague, bringing together drilling professionals from around the world. According to SPE, this year’s technical program features high caliber…
Statoil is preparing to drill the Verbier prospect in the UK North Sea, with a rig anticipated to be in place by this summer, according to partner Jersey Oil & Gas (JOG). Map of Blocks 20/5b and 21/1d…
UK-based semisubmersible rig operator Awilco Drilling has said global floater fleet utilization could finally start to recover from 2018. The firm says the decline in exploration and production spending seems to be bottoming out in 2017…
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…
Seadrill has been awarded a firm two-well contract, plus a two-well option with Statoil Canada for the West Aquarius, offshore eastern Canada. The contract is expected to start in Q2 2017, following the conclusion of the vessel’s current contract with Hibernia in early April 2017…
Swedish oil explorer Lundin Petroleum says its 35-100 MMboe gross resource oil and gas discovery in its Filicudi exploration well in the Barents Sea has 'significant upside potential.' The well, 7219/12-1, is in PL533, which could contain up to 700 MMboe unrisked prospective resource…
Transocean is to scrap two idle rigs and has idled three others as contracts have been dropped, while others have been extended. The floaters M.G. Hulme, Jr. and GSF Rig 140 were classified as held for sale. Transocean says these rigs will be recycled…
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Norway a drilling permit for well 16/1-27. Well 16/1-27 will be drilled from the Island Innovator drilling facility, at position 58°50’18.11” north and 2°11’56.83” east, in a southwesterly…
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…
Halliburton (HAL) released the Dash Large Bore Subsea Safety System, which provides full electrohydraulic control of well safety and intervention functions. The fully customizable system brings new benefits to deepwater operators for completion…
PeruPetro, the responsible government agency, has granted independent oil and gas exploration and production company Baron Oil to drill the Cuy-Z34-13-1X exploration well offshore of northwest Peru in Block Z-34. The well is planned to be drilled in 5764ft of water to a total depth of 12…