Gregory Hale looks at how automation capabilities are removing guess work and allowing for real-time decision-making. The architecture for an automated rig allows for portable, machine independent…
A new offshore play is emerging in the oil and gas exploration business – deepwater contourites. Elaine Maslin spoke to Professor Dorrik Stow about what and where they are and how they were found and how scientific deepwater drilling is helping to unlock their secrets…
Statoil, operator of production license 169, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 25/11-28, 13km south of the Grane field in the North Sea. The well is dry, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. The objective of the…
Shreeram Lom, Aaron Rampersad, and Juan Martínez, of Repsol, discuss the Perla field development, which came online offshore Venezuela in July. Fig. 1: Topside. Images from Repsol. The Perla field…
Dallas-based Kosmos Energy entered into a deal with Atwood Oceanics that will see the exploration and production company get an extension, and a reduced rate for the Atwood Achiever ultra deepwater rig for operations offshore Northwest Africa…
Lundin Norway encountered oil at two appraisal wells at the Alta discovery in the Barents Sea that proved important for the eastern flank Alta, and will result in further exploration in the area. Map of the appraisal wells…
Rex International (RII) entered into a subscription agreement with Lime Petroleum Norway (LPN) for about US$11.72 million (NOK 100 million) as capital injection for Lime’s drilling program obligations. Image from Rex…
Weatherford International announced the commercial release of JetStream Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) circulation sub at the 2015 Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition. Poor wellbore integrity can cause events such as stuck pipe…
Hibiscus Petroleum is experiencing further delays at Sea Lion prospect offshore Australia due to weather delays, according to partner 3D Oil Ltd.'s (TDO). The drilling of the Sea Lion-1 exploration well has been further delayed due to continuing…
Brazil’s Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) discovered high-quality light oil potential at the third well in the Carcará pre-salt discovery area offshore São Paulo. Carcará map. From Petrobras. The third well…
Freeport-McMoRan announced positive drilling results from the Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas (FM O&G) 100%-owned Horn Mountain Deep well in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Initial production from this well, which will be tied back to existing facilities…
Shell is ceasing further exploration offshore Alaska after the company's Burger J prospect failed to prove oil, resulting in a multi billion dollar write-down. The Transocean Polar Pioneer “Shell…
Noble Energy will plug and abandon its Cheetah exploration well offshore Cameroon after finding both crude oil and natural gas shows in multiple non-commercial reservoir sands. Noble said that results from the well are being integrated…
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co. awarded Schlumberger and Weatherford International licenses for its patented Internal Shunt Alternate Path (ISAPT) technology. Schlumberger was awarded the license for ISAPT sand screens to improve gravel packing of cased and openhole completion wells…
It is 20 years since the start of oil production from the Troll field. The 20 year-old can look back on enormous wealth, with 1.56 billion bbl produced so far and US$53.76 billion (NOK 460 billion) in income. Image from Statoil…