Drilling News


RED gets ready

Mar 01, 2015

Resonance enhanced drilling could help speed up drilling time and efficiency. Elaine Maslin reports. Professor Marian Wiercigroch with the vertical RED full scale experimental rig.  Images from the University of Aberdeen…

Australian and New Zealand offshore exploration

Mar 01, 2015

Angus Rodger and Matt Howell discuss the exploration environment as well as the potential impact from the recent fall in oil prices on Australian and New Zealand projects. Graphs from Wood Mackenzie.   Australia…

Saudi Aramco cancels Hercules contract

Feb 26, 2015

Hercules Offshore received a notice from Saudi Aramco to terminate its drilling contract for the Hercules 261, effective 27 March 2015. Hercules says it is in the process of seeking a basis for continuing the Hercules 261 contract. The…

Statoil to drill Gina Krog well

Feb 26, 2015

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway granted Statoil consent to drill well 15/6-13 Gina Krog East 3 in the central North Sea. Drilling operations with the Songa Trym semisubmersible are expected to begin in April 2015 for approximately 50 days…

Total E&P gets two well approval

Feb 26, 2015

Total E&P Norge received approval from the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway to drill two wells in production license 627 in the central North Sea. Blocks 25/6-5 S and 25/6-5 A Skirne Øst will be drilled with the Leiv Eiriksson semisubmersible to investigate the find's potential…

Rig operators look for silver lining

Feb 26, 2015

Offshore drilling rig operators have put a positive spin on the tough market conditions, suggesting that the downturn could improve the global fleet and offer opportunities to buy distressed assets.  Seadrill CEO and President Per Wullf said while…

Odfjell sinks but inks Johan Sverdrup contract

Feb 25, 2015

Norwegian drilling contractor Odfjell Drilling has sunk into the red and suspended 2014 dividents after taking a major write-down on its Deep Sea Metro assets.  The firm's US$27 million loss comes despite the firm today (25 February) also announcing a large contract win on the giant $15…

Lundin farms-out Gemini

Feb 24, 2015

Lundin Petroleum, through its wholly owned subsidiary Lundin Norway, entered into an agreement to farm-out a 30% working interest in PL338C to Lime Petroleum Norway. PL338C contains the Gemini prospect, which is currently being drilled with the Island Innovator rig…

Aibel snatches Johan Sverdrup contract

Feb 24, 2015

Statoil and its Johan Sverdrup partners awarded Aibel a US$1 billion contract for the engineering, procurement and construction for the deck of the drilling platform on the Johan Sverdrup field.  Johan Sverdrup field…

Oil & Gas UK paints bleak picture

Feb 24, 2015

Oil & Gas UK’s new report on offshore exploration, investment and production provides striking evidence of how rising costs, taxes and inadequate regulation have taken their toll on the UK industry’s international competitiveness. The…

AGR wins Lukoil software contract

Feb 23, 2015

Lukoil Overseas North Shelf AS awarded AGR a US$131,000 contract for its well intelligence software solution, iQx. AGR’s iQx software is designed to simplify and increase efficiency of the planning and execution of drilling wells.…

Talisman gets Snømus approval

Feb 23, 2015

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway granted Talisman Energy Norge AS consent for exploration drilling of well 15/12-24 at the Snømus prospect. Image of the Maersk Giant jackup. From Maersk. The well is located in production license 672…

Statoil ups Vøring area stakes

Feb 23, 2015

Statoil has agreed to buy stakes in production license 602, close to the Aasta Hansteen development project, in the Norwegian Sea from Norwegian exploration firm Rocksource and Faroese explorer Atlantic Petroleum.  Statoil will take Rocksource’s 10% stake in PL602 and 2…

Hope for Arctic oil yet?

Feb 23, 2015

According to the United States Geological Survey, the area above the Arctic Circle holds approximately 90 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and an estimated 1,670 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of technically recoverable natural gas…

US issues proposal on Arctic drilling regulations

Feb 20, 2015

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released proposed regulations for exploratory drilling activities on the US Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) concerning  exploratory…

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