Exploration News


BHP signs PSCs off Trinidad

Jun 21, 2013

Trinidad and Tobago announced the signing of four production sharing contracts (PSCs) with Australia's BHP Billiton for four deepwater blocks that the company had previously won in December during the country's 2012 deepwater bid round. On…

NIOC to gain $25 billion in investments

Jun 18, 2013

National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) plans to absorb as much as US $25 billion worth of investment for its development, exploratory and seismic operations during the current Iranian calendar year up to March 2014. At the closing ceremony of seismic operations at Ahwaz oil field…

Shell joins Ithaca in North Sea

Jun 17, 2013

UK-based exploration firm Ithaca Energy has agreed farm-out deals with Edison International and Shell on North Sea blocks. Shell is to take a 50% stake from Ithaca in production license P2048, covering central North Sea blocks 29/24, 29/25…

Noble's Gunflint hits non-commercial pay

Jun 14, 2013

Noble Energy announced a non-commercial hydrocarbon find at its second deepwater Gunflint appraisal well in the US Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi Canyon 992 #1, located one mile west of the original discovery well, encountered 109 ft of net pay and was drilled to a total depth of 32…

Norway announces licensing recipients

Jun 12, 2013

The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum awarded 24 licenses in the country’s 22nd licensing round. The offerings include 20 production licenses in the Barents Sea and four in the Norwegian Sea. The agency granted 29 companies shares—including ConocoPhillips…

Chariot extends Morocco licenses

Jun 11, 2013

Chariot Oil & Gas Ltd and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) agreed to a six month extension for the first phase of exploration on the Loukos, Casablanca and Safi licences, off Morocco. The license will now extend until January 11 2014…

Chevron appoints new E&P president

Jun 05, 2013

Chevron Corporation announced Jeff Shellebarger as the new president of Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company, beginning August 1, 2013. Shellebarger will succeed Gary Luquette, who will retire after working with the company for 35 years…

Peru launches offshore round

Jun 03, 2013

Nine offshore oil concessions are up for grabs in Peru's international bid round, which the country launched on Friday, 31 May 2013. The government estimates that the round could rake in US$450 million with companies investing a minimum of $50 million…

Cairn signs up partner for Malta

Jun 03, 2013

Mediterranean Oil & Gas (MOG) has agreed to join Cairn Energy in its offshore Malta exploration efforts.  MOG will, subject to regulatory approval, take a 40% stake in Cairn subsidiary Transunion Petroleum in offshore areas Malta Area 3 - Blocks 1…

Sub-commercial Black Sea well for Petroceltic

May 24, 2013

Petroceltic International has said the first of a four-well campaign in the Black Sea is to be plugged and abandoned after finding sub-commercial gas shows.  The Kamchia-1 exploration well, in the Galata concession offshore Bulgaria,…

Robertson completes first phase of MERLIN+ project

May 21, 2013

CGG announced today that Robertson, a CGG company specializing in geology, geophysics and reservoir engineering, has completed the first phase of its MERLIN+ source and reservoir facies prediction project initiated in April 2012. Global subscribers…

HRT find offshore Namibia

May 21, 2013

A subsidiary of Brazil-based explorer HRT said its first exploration well offshore Namibia has found oil - but not in commercial volumes.  HRT Walvis Petroleum said the well, Wingat-1 2212/07/1 in PEL-23, spudded on March 25, was drilled in water about 1…

New directors at Nordic Energy

May 21, 2013

North Sea focussed exploration firm Nordic Energy has taken on two industry directors as it gears up to explore offshore Denmark. The new non-executive directors are Ian Donald and Kenneth Paul Seymour. Donald has 30 years’ experience…

Gas find for Noble at Karish 1

May 17, 2013

Noble Energy has found 'significant signs of gas' on the Karish 1 well 75km north west of Haifi in Israeli waters, according to partners on the project. Delek Group said, according to information from Noble, 60ft of natural gas bearing…

Northern eyes southern Adriatic find

May 16, 2013

Independent explorer Northern Petroleum has revealed well data from Italy’s ENI has given it extra confidence in its southern Adriatic Sea Cygnus prospect. Richard Latham, chairman of Northern Petroleum, said the newly available well…

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