Drilling News


Exxon, COPL make Liberia comeback

Nov 23, 2016

After a long awaited return to Liberia, ExxonMobil started drilling at the deepwater Mesurado-1 exploration well earlier this week, according to partner Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd. (COPL). Map of Liberia…

Maersk drops Bagpuss, Blofeld heavy oil license

Nov 23, 2016

Maersk Oil is to drop its heavy oil Bagpuss and Blofeld License, P.1943, in the UK North Sea, according to partner North Sea Energy.  The move follows UK independent Premier Oil resigning as operator on the Bagpuss joint venture, effective at the end of this year…

Africa Petroleum loses Liberia licenses

Nov 23, 2016

West Africa focused independent African Petroleum is to drop its production sharing contracts for blocks LB-08 and LB-09 after they expired. The PSCs formally expired in June 2016 and since then the firm has been in discussions with Liberian authorities over a possible extension…

Castex gets successful Hummer test

Nov 22, 2016

Castex Offshore had a successful flow testing of its Main Pass Hummer discovery well, offshore Louisiana, according to partner Petsec Energy. Flow rates were measured at restricted rates on variable choke sizes over the last three hours…

Okea picks Ridge for well management

Nov 22, 2016

Norwegian private equity backed independent Okea has awarded a frame agreement to Ridge for well management services. Under the contract, Ridge will provide personnel and services to manage offshore well design, construction and operation for Okea…

Barents Sea exploration success for Lundin

Nov 22, 2016

Sweden's Lundin has made a ca. 25-60 MMboe oil and gas discovery on the Loppa High, 20km east of the Johan Castberg discovery in the Norwegian Barents Sea.  The well, 7220/6-2 R, was drilled on the Neiden prospect in production license 609…

Maersk Drilling, NOV tackle drilling equipment maintenance

Nov 21, 2016

Maersk Drilling and National Oilwell Varco (NOV) have entered into a five-year partnership to improve maintenance predictability for drilling equipment. The shared vision behind the partnership is to implement a new maintenance mind-set which…

Total, Socar to develop Azerbaijan find

Nov 21, 2016

Total and Socar, the national oil company of Azerbaijan, signed an agreement establishing the contractual and commercial terms for a first phase of production of the Absheron gas and condensate field, located in the Caspian Sea. The development…

Saudi Aramco, Rowan create new rig firm

Nov 21, 2016

US offshore drilling contractor Rowan Companies and Saudi Aramco have signed a deal to create a new offshore rig outfit. The new organization will be a 50/50 joint venture (JV) which will own, operate, and manage offshore drilling rigs in Saudi Arabia…

Colombian exploration to heat up in 2017

Nov 19, 2016

After forming its own offshore-focused offshoot this January, Colombian state oil company Ecopetrol noted in its Q3 conference call that it intends to stabilize its production with a more 'aggressive' exploration drilling program slated for 2017…

Sirius, COSL enter Ororo deal

Nov 16, 2016

Sirius Petroleum entered into a financed drilling contract with COSL Drilling Pan-Pacific Ltd. (COSL), for the provision of a high specification jackup rig that will be utilized to drill a multi well campaign as part of its shallow water development strategy in Nigeria at the Ororo project…

Israel launches offshore bid round

Nov 16, 2016

Israel's Minister of Energy has opened the country's first offshore bid round covering 24 areas in the Levant Basin, with some located close to existing major gas discoveries. The discovery of giant gas fields in the Levant Basin, offshore…

AkerBP, IKM agree to mud recovery services

Nov 14, 2016

IKM Cleandrill has been awarded a three-year frame agreement with AkerBP for riserless closed loop mud recovery services. The initial operations under this contract will be production well drilling on the Alvheim development from the Transocean Arctic semisubmersible rig…

Carnarvon updates Australia resource estimates

Nov 14, 2016

Carnarvon has updated resource estimates for the Roc, Phoenix, and Phoenix South areas in the WA-435-P and WA-437-P permits, offshore Australia. “Our resource estimates are based on the successful drilling results to date and a foundation…

Petrobras completes first Libra well

Nov 14, 2016

Petrobras completed the first well in the Santos Basin’s Libra pre-salt field last week, with the anticipation of starting production next year, connected to the Pioneiro de Libra floating production and storage offloading (FPSO) unit. The West Carina…

Current News

Cadeler’s WTIV Newbuild Arrives to Rotterdam Ahead of Maiden Job

LR and SHI Join Forces for Green Ammonia FPSO System

BP, Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies Pledge $500M to Boost Energy Access

Seatrium Delivers Fifth Jack-Up to Borr Drilling

Subscribe for OE Digital E‑News