North Sea News


Talisman gets Snømus approval

Feb 23, 2015

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway granted Talisman Energy Norge AS consent for exploration drilling of well 15/12-24 at the Snømus prospect. Image of the Maersk Giant jackup. From Maersk. The well is located in production license 672…

Statoil ups Vøring area stakes

Feb 23, 2015

Statoil has agreed to buy stakes in production license 602, close to the Aasta Hansteen development project, in the Norwegian Sea from Norwegian exploration firm Rocksource and Faroese explorer Atlantic Petroleum.  Statoil will take Rocksource’s 10% stake in PL602 and 2…

Oseberg opens up opportunities

Feb 23, 2015

Statoil is eying further opportunities in the Oseberg area after bringing its tenth fast-track portfolio project, the 77 MMboe recoverable Oseberg Delta 2, onstream. Oseberg Delta 2 is a two-template, 14km-long subsea tieback from the Delta terrace to the Oseberg Field Centre…

Low oil prices could persist into 2017

Feb 19, 2015

Centrica has cut its exploration and budget 40% saying that it thinks oil prices will remain low for the rest of 2015 and potentially also into 2016 and 2017.  The comments, made by the firm's CEO Iain Conn, echo BP CEO Bob Dudley's…

Technip predicts prolonged, harsh slowdown

Feb 18, 2015

Technip CEO and chairman Thierry Pilenko says the headwinds facing the industry, both before and following the oil price collapse imply a 'prolonged, harsh slowdown' in many parts of the oil and gas industry.  Pilenko, outlining the firm's 2014 results…

Wood Group weathers oil storm

Feb 17, 2015

'Through-cycle' UK-based oilfield engineering and services firm Wood Group has weathered the oil price down-turn with an increase in revenues and profits in 2014. But, the firm said it would continue to take action to increase efficiencies…

EMGS gets US$2.5 mln from NCS sale

Feb 16, 2015

Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) will receive uplift revenues of US$2.5 million related to the licensing round for mature areas on the Norwegian continental shelf - Awards in Predefined Areas (APA). EMGS's multi-client data library in Norway now covers 44…

Lundin spuds at Gemini

Feb 16, 2015

Lundin Petroleum began drilling the 16/1-24 exploration well at the Gemini prospect, just southwest of the Edvard Grieg field. The Island Innovator, from Island Drilling.   The well is located in Block 16/1…

BP gets Valhall gas lift

Feb 16, 2015

BP Norge received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) for a gas lift at the Valhall IP. Increased water production is expected as a result of the water injection at Valhall, and gas lift is being performed to maintain stable production from the wells at IP…

Latest Maersk Drilling XLE named

Feb 16, 2015

Maersk Drilling’s third XL Enhanced ultra harsh environment jackup was officially named Saturday morning at the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore. Margareth Øvrum, Executive Vice President in Statoil, named the rig - the third in a series…

Dry wells for BG near Knarr

Feb 16, 2015

BG Group has completed drilling two wells in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea classified as dry by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). The 34/3-4 S and 34/3-4 A wells were drilled on production license 373 S, about 5km east of the Knarr field in the northern part of the North Sea…

Wood Mackenzie values Sverdrup field at US$11.2 billion

Feb 13, 2015

Statoil and field partners reached a final investment decision for the 2.35 billion bbl Johan Sverdrup oil field in the Norwegian North Sea. The field, discovered in 2010, is a major success story for Norway, and is the crowning achievement…

Westcon wins Transocean Leader contract

Feb 13, 2015

Westcon Yards won a contract to conduct a special periodic survey (SPS) and inspection on the Transocean Leader semisubmersible. The Transocean Leader. From Transocean.   The company said the original plan was for the rig to arrive in March…

Minor oil discovery at Romeo

Feb 13, 2015

Statoil Petroleum has made a minor oil discovery at the Romeo prospect in production license 146 in the southern part of the Norwegian North Sea. The Romeo well 2/4-22 S was drilled about 20km north of the Ekofisk field and 2.3km northeast of the 2/4-21 discovery…

Lundin in minor gas find

Feb 12, 2015

Lundin Norway is completing the drilling of wildcat well 26/10-1 and will permanently plug and abandon the well after a minor gas find. Map of Well 26/10-1. From the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate…

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