Global high-impact* exploration in 2017 is expected to match 2016 in both activity and success rates, and with a marked improvement in commercial oil volumes discovered and lower finding costs. High impact drilling commercial success…
Quadrant Energy is lining up drilling the Phoenix South-3 well in the Roebuck Basin offshore Western Australia, using Transocean's Development Driller-1 semisubmersible rig. The rig is about to start its voyage to Western Australia…
Halliburton has released the Geometrix 4D shaped cutters, a line of four distinct geometric profiles to help improve cutting efficiency and increase control to reduce drilling costs. “The launch of Geometrix cutters demonstrates our…
Australia's Santos has agreed to partly fund and lead a new 3D seismic survey over the beehive prospect in Australia's Bonaparte Basin in return for an up to 80% farm-in option in the permit. Santos calls Beehive, which sits on the WA-488-P permit…
Kosmos Energy's Lamantin-1 exploration well on Block C-12 offshore Mauritania has disappointed. The well, drilled in 2200m water depth and to a total depth of 5150m, hit a water bearing reservoir with residual hydrocarbons. It is thought…
Erin Energy has spud the Oyo Northwest (NW) well offshore Nigeria, the company announced today 6 December. Oyo-NW is a high-impact exploration well being drilled with the Pacific Bora, a sixth-generation drilling rig at offshore Nigeria block 120…
The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has reported a fatality onboard the Petrobras 10,000 drillship, in Walker Ridge 469, 172 mi south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Petrobras 10…
West Africa focused African Petroleum has inked an agreement with Sierra Leone's Petroleum Directorate to enter a second extension periods on ultra-deepwater licenses SL-03 and SL-4A-10. The work programs for both licenses, in 3000-3600m water depth and containing the Leo and Vega prospects…
Swedish headquartered Lundin Petroleum has started drilling on the Hurri prospect in the southern Barents Sea, offshore Norway. Exploration well 7219/12-3, in PL533, is about 2 km southwest of the Filicudi oil discovery and south of the Statoil-operated Johan Castberg development…
UK explorer Siccar Point Energy E&P has signed up a rig to drill a well on the Lyon prospect, west of Shetland. Lyon is due to be drilled in 2018, using North Atlantic Drilling's West Hercules semisubmersible, immediately following drilling a Cambo appraisal well…
OMV has spudded the Iris/Hades (Aerosmith) exploration well on the Halten Terrace in the Norwegian Sea, says partner Faroe Petroleum. Exploration well, 6506/11-10 (Faroe 20%) in license PL644/PL644 B, is being drilled about 200km offshore using the Deepsea Bergen semisubmersible…
Tullow oil is aiming to start drilling on the Cormorant prospect in the Walvis Basin offshore Namibia at the start of September next year [2018], according to partner Pancontinental. The Cormorant prospect, in about 550m water depth, is part of exploration license in PEL 37…
Eni and partner Total are targeting drilling on Block 6 offshore Cyprus by the end of this year, the Italian major has said. It will be just nine months after the signature of the Block 6 exploration and production sharing contract (EPSC)…
DEA Norge has awarded Transocean Norway a contrcat for use of the drilling rig Transocean Arctic for drilling production wells on the Dvalin field in the Norwegian Sea. Dvalin is a four-well subsea tieback to the Heidrum platform. As part of the project…
Lundin Petroleum's Hufsa exploration well in the southern Barents Sea made a non-commercial gas discovery. A side track on the well, 7219/12-2, in PL533, was dry. The main objective of the well was to prove oil in Jurassic and Triassic sandstone reservoirs…