While a leaner and more selective exploration industry has emerged over the past two years, Wood Mackenzie expects Latin America to buck this global trend in 2018, with intense exploration activity expected in frontier basins in the Equatorial Margin…
French oil major Total and Brazilian national Petrobras have finalized the US$1.95 billion transfer of interests in the pre-salt Santos Basin from Petrobras to Total. The companies called the move a “decisive milestone” in a strategic alliance…
UK-based explorer Rockhopper says the Premier Oil-operated Sea Lion project, offshore the Falkland Islands, is moving towards sanction by year's end. Sea Lion schematic Phase 1, 2, and 3. Image from Rockhopper…
Tullow Oil has picked up six licenses offshore Peru, spanning 28,000sq km, the UK-based firm confirmed today (10 January). Map of Peru blocks. Image from Tullow. Following negotiations with Perupetro…
OOS International Group’s newest semisubmersible accommodation vessel, the OOS Tiradentes, will head to Brazil next month for a contract with Petrobras. Source: OOS International The OOS…
The sixth time seems to be the charm for Exxon and its partners at the Stabroek block offshore Guyana. The supermajor is celebrating another large find in South American waters, the company announced today (5 January). Stena Carron drillship…
Petrobras has released its new 2018-2022 business plan, in which the Brazilian giant has promised to maintain about the same level of investments in exploration and production (E&P) as it listed in last year's plan. Photo from OE/Audrey Leon…
Audrey Leon looks at some of 2017's 10 largest offshore discoveries. First published in the December 2017 OE. While exploration hasn’t been as hot as it used to be, the finds this year have been big and plentiful. Wood Mackenzie has provided the year’s 10 biggest finds by volume…
Helix Energy Solutions' Siem Helix 2 newbuild light well intervention vessel has completed the vessel acceptance tests and is now on contract to Petrobras offshore Brazil under a multi-year contract. The Siem Helix 2 joins the Siem Helix 1…
Norway's Statoil is set to triple its production in Brazil after agreeing to acquire a 25% stake in the Roncador oil field in Brazil's Campos Basin from Petrobras. Statoil CEO Eldar Sætre (left) and Petrobras…
Believing that major spending cuts are over, Wood Mackenzie expects global upstream capital expenditures to grow slightly in 2018 to a total of US$400 billion. The downturn resulted in nearly $1 trillion being taken out of company spending from 2015 to 2020…
Statoil has completed a deal with Queiroz Galvão Exploração e Produção (QGEP) to acquire a 10% interest a block offshore Brazil containing the Carcará oil discovery. The BM-S-8 block is in Brazil’s Santos basin and the 10% was acquired by Statoil for US$379 million…
Petrobras and ExxonMobil have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a strategic alliance to jointly identify and evaluate potential business opportunities. The memorandum of understanding was signed in Rio de Janeiro today by Pedro Parente…
Houston-headquartered geoscience firm ION Geophysical has launched a 2D multi-client data package for offshore Argentina, ahead of the country's 2018 license round. ION has delivered a regional framework consisting of approximately 30…
Petrobras has declared commerciality at the Libra Northwest field, formally renaming it Mero, following a vote amongst its workforce, the Brazilian operator announced on 30 November. Pioneiro de Libra FPSO…