UK-based fractured basement explorer Hurricane Energy has spudded its 205/21a-7 Lancaster well, west of Shetland. The well is a pilot well, the first in a two-well program, designed to refine the Lancaster resource range, provide a second…
EnQuest’s Eagle oil discovery in the Greater Kittiwake area (GKA) in the North Sea is getting some heat from Dana Petroleum, after the company said that EnQuest did not have the authority to drill the well. Image from EnQuest…
ExxonMobil has received consent to use a new subsea well on the Balder field. ExxonMobil is the operator of the Balder field, in block 25/11 in the Norwegian North Sea, around 190km west of Stavanger. The Balder field belongs to production licence PL 001…
While outages in Canada and Nigeria have helped a rally in oil prices, the outlook for 2017 isn't looking favorable as new projects come online, says Douglas Westwood. Matt Cook, who has authored the firm's World Drilling and Production…
MEO Australia has reached an agreement to assign its 50% interest in the WA-454-P exploration permit, in the Bonaparte Gulf, offshore northern Australia to Origin Energy Resources. MEO had actively sought an additional partner for WA…
Quadrant Energy’s Outtrim East-1 well has suffered a 10-day delay due to drilling challenges, offshore Western Australia. According to partner Carnarvon Petroleum, the well reached the 12-1/4in hole section at a depth of 1011m, however…
UK independent EnQuest has confirmed a discovery on the Eagle exploration well in the Greater Kittiwake area in the North Sea. Assessment of the results is underway and preliminary analysis indicates Fulmar oil bearing reservoir was…
Halliburton’s Alan Marr examines how fluid advances can enable more efficient well clean-outs. An example of a successful displacement is recognized by bright, clean pipes indicating clean casing and fluid…
New drilling results at ExxonMobil’s Liza discovery offshore Guyana are revealing the potential of recoverable resources to be up to 1.4 billion boe. Image from Exxon Twitter. The…
Quadrant Energy has decided to change its drilling plans in the Carnarvon Basin offshore Western Australia. The firm had proposed to drill the Palmerston-1 well. After a technical evaluations and engagement with the regulator, Quadrant now plans to drill the Driftwood-1 well…
UK-based explorer Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) expects to take Transocean's Sedco 704 semisubmersible drilling rig on contract and start drilling an appraisal well on the Skipper oil discovery in the second half of July 2016. Skipper…
Seadrill Partners has reached an agreement with BP to keep the West Capricorn on an extended standby rate of US$316,000/d with expected recommencement of work in late 2017 at the full operating rate of $526,000/d. The unit had been down…
Statoil has received consent from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to drill a wildcat well in the Njord field with the Songa Delta semisubmersible, a rig that the Norwegian supermajor suspended with Songa Offshore just last week…
Japan's JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration (Malaysia) is gearing up to drill three wells offshore Malaysia after agreeing a contract for the rig for the campaign. JX Nippon is to hire the semi-tender drilling rig SKD Berani from a SapuraKencana Petroleum subsidiary…
Statoil has received consent from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to use the Songa Encourage semisubmersible drilling rig for the drilling and completion of wells at Åsgard and Heidrun in the Norwegian Sea. The consent covers production drilling…