Drilling News


Noble finds GOM gas

Sep 11, 2013

Noble Energy Inc. has hit 50ft of net natural gas pay in a high-quality Miocene reservoir at its Troubadour prospect in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The well was drilled to a total depth of 19,510ft by the ultradeepwater semisubmersible ENSCO 8501…

Saratoga ties back Zeke well, GoM

Sep 11, 2013

Houston-based Saratoga Resources Inc. provided an update on its recent Zeke development well in Breton Sound Block 32 field. Saratoga owns and operates 10 fields along transitional coastline in protected, in-bay environments off southeastern Louisiana…

ViChem increases MHA production

Sep 11, 2013

ViChem Specialty Products, LLC, developer of the Multi-Hydroxyl Alcohol (MHA) Drilling Fluid System, announced that it is has increased its production and storage capacity 10 times for MHA base fluid, shale inhibitor, lubricant, and soil stabilizer…

New Ensco drillship delivered

Sep 09, 2013

Ensco plc has taken delivery of ENSCO DS-7, an advanced-capability, ultra-deepwater drillship. The vessel will embark from the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea to Angola, where it is contracted to Total for three years beginning…

OE13: Rig consortia for UK?

Sep 05, 2013

“Establishing a successful rig consortium is a roller-coaster process”, Geir Kristian Pedersen, managing director of Rig Management Norway (RMG), said at the keynote session Planning for Long Term Drilling yesterday. Key factors in building a consortia are being co-operative…

Shallow water safety concerns

Sep 01, 2013

Recent Gulf of Mexico well control incidents have US regulators calling for better safety in shallow water. By Audrey Leon Representatives from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), US Bureau of Lands and Minerals Management…

Cutting through mud

Sep 01, 2013

Cubility’s MudCube shale shaker made a name for itself on its first commercial installation on Maersk Drilling’s Maersk Giant in the North Sea. The North Sea has long been a critical area of exploration and production within the oil and gas industry…

Achieving total isolation to optimize wellbore cleaning

Sep 01, 2013

The combined application of the ISO-MAX security packer and selective rotation and circulation tool (SRCT) helped a North Sea operator prevent losses during well displacement, thus ensuring well integrity and improving the chances of a successful completion…

Global Briefs: September 2013

Sep 01, 2013

Alaska states Arctic needs Alaska’s Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell stated the case for the state’s needs at the Ice-Diminished Arctic Conference in Washington, D.C. He emphasized the need for safety, security, and economic development in the region…

Speedy, accurate assessment of deepwater reservoirs

Sep 01, 2013

Standard coring methods often yield incomplete reservoir fluid information. Doug Kinsella, managing director of Corpro, describes a new coring system that provides better information while saving rig time. Deepwater finds are now playing a crucial role in replacing global reserves…

Third strike for Statoil in Flemish Pass

Aug 27, 2013

Statoil has made a third discovery of crude oil in the Flemish Pass basin, offshore Newfoundland. The discovery was made on the Bay du Nord prospect (EL1112), located approximately 500km northeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador…

IADC forms well control institute

Aug 27, 2013

The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) announced the formation of the Well Control Institute (WCI), a new industry body which will provide the drilling industry with a single, universal well control training and assessment standard…

Express Energy launches free H2S safety film

Aug 21, 2013

Express Energy Services has created a short film, Left Undone, as part of its contribution to safety in the energy industry. The movie aims to educate and inform oilfield workers on the hazards and safety procedures in the event of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exposure while working on a well site…

Gabon discovery for Total

Aug 19, 2013

Total encountered gas and condensate at its Diaman-1B well offshore Gabon, partner Cobalt International Energy announced. The well, located in the Diaba block, was drilled to 5585m total depth, finding 50-55m of net hydrocarbons in the pre-salt formations…

ONGC touts discoveries off India

Aug 15, 2013

India's Oil & Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) announced three offshore and one onshore discovery during Q1 of its fiscal year 2013-2014, which ended 30 June, and one additional onshore discovery in August 2013 (Q2). Offshore: New prospect discovery: exploratory well KGOSN041NANL-2…

Current News

BOEM Boosts Monetary Penalties for Oil & Gas firms

Portugal Selects Four Offshore Wind Farm Sites Ahead of Auction

Technical Issue Shuts Down BP’s Caspian Sea Gas Platform

Kazakhstan Orders Kashagan Oil Field Operator to Pay $6.6M Fine

Subscribe for OE Digital E‑News