GSP Saturn has arrived for exploration drilling at the Gazpromneft Sakhalin-operated Dolginskoye field, located in the Arctic shelf of the Pechora Sea. The Gazprom Neft subsidiary announced 21 January its plans to drill an exploration well and take core samples at the field…
Karoon Gas Australia Ltd. announced on 16 June that the Pharos‐1 well, located offshore Western Australia, was drilling ahead at 4570 mRT in the 8½-in. hole section. Since last reported on 30 May, the 12¼-in. hole section was drilled 1719m from the 133⁄8-in…
The Oyo-8 development well, located offshore Nigeria in OML 120, was spudded on 15 June 2014, operator CAMAC Energy Inc. announced. The Oyo-8 well, which CAMAC Energy owns and operates with 100% interest, lies within the Oyo field, which…
The US Department of the Interior has opened its new five-year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore oil and gas leasing plan to public comment, the agency announced on 13 June 2014. DOI said the publication in the federal register of…
AWE Ltd. announced on 13 June that drilling began on the Oi-2 exploration well located in Petroleum Mining Permit (PMP) 38158 offshore Taranaki, New Zealand. The joint venture partners hope the Oi-2 well will allow the evaluation of hydrocarbon potential of a 4-way dip closed structure…
Australian explorer Far Ltd. reported on 10 June that the Cairn-operated FAN-1 exploration well offshore Senegal is delayed for maintenance work and the drilling program was being modified. 'Having set 13-3/8in. casing in the FAN-1 well ahead of drilling into the two main objectives…
Cyprus-based Energean E&P Holdings Ltd. has farmed-in and taken over as operator of the Sara and Myra license blocks about 25 mi. off the coast of Israel. [shaded blue in map at right] Six of the seven partners agreed to the farm-in, including Modiin Energy Limited Partnership…
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) responded to an equipment failure onboard Transocean's Deepwater Nautilus semisubmersible drilling rig in the US Gulf of Mexico, the agency reported on 10 June 2014. Operator Shell Offshore Inc…
Circle Oil has started drilling exploration well EMD-1 on the offshore Mahdia Permit using the drillship PetroSaudi Discoverer. The well is near existing producing fields, including the Tazerka, Birsa, Oudna, and Halk El Menzel oil fields…
As the deepwater prospects being drilled today address ever more complex conditions, the drilling industry needs to adjust its technology to address the challenges that arise. The use of conventional “open to atmosphere” drilling methods…
SapuraKencana Energy Sarawak Inc. (SKE) announced the discovery of four non-associated natural gas wells in the SK408 Production Sharing Contract (PSC) area. These are the first four wells of a 10-well commitment in the SK408 PSC, a 4480sq km area…
UK-based exploration firm Hurricane Energy has completed the drilling phase of the ongoing operation to drill and test a horizontal appraisal well on its Lancaster discovery, West of Shetland. The well has been drilled to plan and a 1km…
EnergyMakers' Russ Capper interviews SBM Offshore's Group Technology Director Michael Wyllie about the company's very high pressure (VHP) fluid swivel technology. The swivel earned SBM Offshore a Spotlight award at the 2014 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston…
Baker Hughes issued the May 2014 international rotary drilling rig count today, showing a total of 1024 rigs operating outside the US & Canada. International activity in May was up 4 rigs from the 1020 rigs drilling in April and up 68…
Today's Baker Hughes North American offshore rotary rig count listed 58 rigs operating this week, down 2 rigs from a week ago but up 2 rigs from a year ago (4% year-over-year increase). Gulf of Mexico The majority, 56 rigs, are working in the Gulf of Mexico…