Drilling News


Predicting pressures

Nov 03, 2014

With a slightly different approach, hydrodynamic modeling can be used for overpressure prediction in on and offshore environments. Marcell Lux, Ahmed Amran, and Marianna Vincze explain. Fig. 1…

DSME names four semisubs

Nov 03, 2014

The naming ceremony for four DSME semisubmersibles was held in H quay on 24 October. The rigs, hull numbers 3031, 3032, 3034, and 3035, were ordered by Norway’s Songa Offshore Company to be operated by Statoil. Around 290 guests attended the naming ceremony…

Engineering for a cold climate

Nov 03, 2014

Arctic-ready facilities: meeting the engineering challenge for a new era of offshore exploration. Mark Manton explains. The Sable South Centre module being loaded ready for installation at the Sable Offshore Energy Tier II Compression Project…

Reaching 20K

Nov 01, 2014

GE’s new 20,000psi-rated BOP recently secured a contract with Maersk Drilling as part of BP’s own Project 20K program. Jerry Lee reports on the new BOP and its control system. Completed GE BOP stack. All images from GE…

North Sea mooring systems: How reliable are they?

Nov 01, 2014

Mooring failure rates are still higher than industry targets. Assessing past failures could help industry understanding, say Will Brindley and Andrew Cornley. The Blackford Dolphin semisubmersible mobile offshore drilling unit Images from DNV GL…

UK offshore oil and gas industry pessimistic

Oct 30, 2014

The 3Q 2014 Oil & Gas UK Business Sentiment Index published on 30 October shows that optimism in the sector continues to decline with a drop from two points above zero on the -50 to +50 index to seven points below zero. Published quarterly…

Cairn's second Senegal well underway

Oct 30, 2014

Cairn Energy's second planned exploration well offshore Senegal is underway, the firm said today (30 October).  The SNE-1 probe on the Sangomar Deep Block follows Cairn's successful FAN-1 well, on the same block, which struck oil early…

Shell seeks arctic extension

Oct 30, 2014

Shell has asked the Obama administration for five more years to explore for oil off Alaska’s coast, saying set backs and legal delays may push the start of drilling past the 2017 expiration of some leases. In a letter to the Interior…

Eni makes 1bn Congo oil find

Oct 30, 2014

Eni has made a light oil discovery estimated to contain about 1billion boe in place in the Minsala Marine exploration prospect in shallow waters offshore Congo.  The discovery, in the Marine XII Block, about 35km from shore and 12km from the recent Nené Marine discovery…

Eni departs Heron

Oct 29, 2014

Eni's Australian subsidiary decided to shed its stake in the Heron area off Northern Australia after opting out of plans to drill a second well inside permit area NT/P68. The Italian explorer also elected to hold its current 50% share in the Blackwood area…

Repsol hits big at GoM León well

Oct 29, 2014

Repsol encountered high quality oil at the ultra deepwater well León, in the Keathley Canyon 642 block located in the US Gulf of Mexico. Map from Repsol.   At León, located 352km from the Louisiana coast…

Hess sanctions Stampede

Oct 29, 2014

Hess Corp. is moving forward with the US$6 billion development of the Stampede Field in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico after a final investment decision was reached. Stampede, a joint development of the earlier Knotty Head and Pony discoveries…

Exxon, OMV Petrom spud Romanian well

Oct 28, 2014

ExxonMobil started drilling the Pelican South-1 well, its third and latest prospect in the Neptun Block off Romania in the Black Sea. Pelican South-1 is being drilled by Diamond Offshore's ultra-deepwater semisubmersible Ocean Endeavor about 155km offshore…

Tercel, Total debut cutter collaboration

Oct 28, 2014

Tercel Oilfield Products introduced its patented MicroCORE cutting system, developed in collaboration with Total. The launch took place at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SPE ATCE) from October 27-29 2014 in Amsterdam…

DNV GL discusses Arctic challenges

Oct 28, 2014

Major oil and gas companies have several challenges to face when it comes to operating in the Arctic. Won Ho Lee and Piotr Szalewski, both DNV GL principal engineers, discussed some of these challenges at the company’s annual Technology Week last month…

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