Exploration and Development

Bangladesh: Surma basin 3D seismic indicates oil

Mon, 21 May 2012 17:53:00 GMT

Bangladesh, mainly a gas-producing country, has discovered indications of an oil pay zone in two Surma basin gas fields.

Iran: Giant Caspian deepwater oil find claimed

Mon, 21 May 2012 15:38:00 GMT

Iran has claimed to have made a discovery of as much as 10 billion bbl of oil offshore in the Caspian Sea, but few details have been disclosed.

Colorado: Paradox Gothic shale exploration resumes

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:52:00 GMT

Bill Barrett Corp., Denver, said the company has resumed exploratory drilling at its Yellow Jacket prospect in southwestern Colorado in the quarter ended Mar. 31.

Argentina: Wintershall gets second Neuquen block

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:36:00 GMT

Argentina’s Mendoza Province has awarded Wintershall Energia SA and Total Austral SA 50-50 interest in an exploration permit for the Area Ranquil Norte.

Poland: San Leon awarded Praszka concession

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:05:00 GMT

Poland has awarded San Leon Energy PLC the Praszka exploration concession in the southern Permian/SW Carboniferous basin.

OGJ Newsletter

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

International news for oil and gas professionals

DOI says leases remain idle; industry groups dispute claim

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

More than two thirds of federal offshore tracts leased by the oil and gas industry and more than half of the federal onshore acreage companies hold in the Lower 48 remains idle, the US Department of the Interior said in a new report.

Outreach to industry isn't election gimmick, White House aide says

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Obama administration is reaching out to the oil and gas industry more than it did initially to develop regulations, but it is not an election-year gimmick, a leading White House official said.

BP, BG units sign PSCs for blocks off Trinidad and Tobago

Fri, 18 May 2012 21:34:00 GMT

Earlier this week, BP PLC unit BP Trinidad & Tobago (BPTT) and BG Group’s Trinidad and Tobago unit (BGTT) separately signed production-sharing contracts with the government of Trinidad and Tobago for deepwater exploration off the twin-island nation’s coast.

Carthage gets Haynesville-Cotton Valley liquids play

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:14:00 GMT

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. said it has opened a liquids-rich play in the Carthage area of East Texas in the quarter ended Mar. 31.

Malta: Heritage plans exploratory well in Area 7

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:52:00 GMT

Heritage Oil PLC said preparations are under way to drill a high-impact well in Area 7 in the Mediterranean offshore Malta.

Heritage outlines Iraq Miran early development

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:26:00 GMT

Heritage Oil PLC said it is considering phased development of Miran field oil and gas-conensate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Atlas to acquire Titan Fort Worth Barnett shale assets

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:52:00 GMT

Atlas Resources Partners LP, Philadelphia, will acquire 250 bcf equivalent of proved reserves in the Barnett shale in the Fort Worth basin from Titan Operating LLC, private Fort Worth independent, for $184 million in ARP units.

Somalia petroleum system seen in Shabeel well

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:31:00 GMT

Horn Petroleum Corp., Vancouver, BC, said its Shableel well in the Dharoor Valley in Puntland, Somalia, encountered two potential pay zones that confirm the existence of a working petroleum system.

Taipan may merge with Kenya explorer Lion Petroleum

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:09:00 GMT

Taipan Resources Inc., Vancouver, BC, entered into a preliminary agreement to merge with Lion Petroleum Corp., which has interests in 9.7 million exploratory acres onshore Kenya. Closing is subject to reaching a definitive agreement.

Romania: Black Sea multiblock 3D seismic survey nears

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:54:00 GMT

Melrose Resources PLC and the Midia Resources SRL subsidiary of Sterling Resources Ltd., Calgary, will begin shooting 1,920 sq km of 3D seismic in the Black Sea off Romania in June, enough to cover the Muridava and Est Cobalcescu blocks, said Melrose.

Eni adds 7-10 tcf at Coral find offshore Mozambique

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:24:00 GMT

An Eni SPA-led group said a gas discovery offshore northern Mozambique has opened a new play in Eocene sand and hiked the overall potential of the Mamba complex to 47-52 tcf of gas in place.

UK: Land, offshore well data made available on line

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:15:00 GMT

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change and the British Geological Survey have authorized TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. to release on line new and historical data for all land and offshore wells in the UK.

Two firms connect to pursue Indonesia CBM

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:40:00 GMT

CBM Asia Development Corp., Vancouver, BC, and Continental Energy Corp., Jakarta, formed a joint study and bid group to investigate coalbed methane opportunities in Indonesia.

Quebec: Petrolia gets two Gaspe drilling permits

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:28:00 GMT

Petrolia Inc., Rimouski, Que., has been issued drilling permits for two wells in the Gaspe area of Quebec that target conventional prospects of the Bourque reef complex.

Kenya: CAMAC gets deepwater, land blocks

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:53:00 GMT

CAMAC Energy Inc., Houston, said it has signed production sharing contracts on two newly created deepwater blocks off Kenya in addition to two Lamu basin land blocks previously awarded.

Uzbekistan: Tethys eyes Amu Darya, Ustyurt blocks

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:01:00 GMT

Tethys Petroleum Ltd. said its Chegara Production Ltd. subsidiary signed a 25-year production enhancement contract that covers the Chegara group of fields in Uzbekistan.

BG has Cretaceous gas find off southern Tanzania

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:36:00 GMT

BG Group is preparing to spud its sixth wildcat offshore southern Tanzania after reporting a fifth gas discovery at the Mzia-1 exploratory well on Block 1.

Anadarko adds 7 to 20+ tcf at Golfinho off Mozambique

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:21:00 GMT

The Anadarko Petroleum Corp. group has added 7 to 20+ tcf of recoverable gas to its discovered trove offshore Mozambique at an exploratory success nearly 20 miles northwest of its Prosperidade complex.

Multiple intervals tested at PNG Triceratops well

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:46:00 GMT

Logs and drillstem test pressure data indicate two stratigraphically separate carbonate reservoir intervals with separate pressure systems and potentially separate or stacked hydrocarbon pay at the Tricertops-2 well in Papua New Guinea, said InterOil Corp., Houston.

Statoil hires rig for Flemish Pass, Jeanne d'Arc drilling

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:35:00 GMT

Statoil ASA has reached an agreement to use Seadrill’s West Aquarius harsh environment semisubmersible on its 2012-2013 exploratory drilling offshore Newfoundland.

Ivory Coast: Rialto gets Gazelle development OK

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:26:00 GMT

Ivory Coast has formally granted Rialto Energy Ltd., Perth, an exclusive exploitation area on Gazelle field on offshore Block CI-202 with the right to produce hydrocarbons for 25 years.

DOI releases draft fracing rules for onshore public, tribal lands

Mon, 14 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The US Department of the Interior released its long-awaited proposal to regulate exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas resources on onshore public and tribal lands.

Exploration/Development Briefs

Mon, 14 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

OGJ Newsletter

Mon, 14 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

International news for oil and gas professionals

China: ROC Oil to explore southern Bohai block

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:54:00 GMT

China National Offshore Oil Corp. has signed a production sharing contract under which ROC Oil (Bohai) Co. will explore a block in southern Bohai Gulf.

Fitch: US firms' FD&A costs up moderately

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:41:00 GMT

Despite sharply rising drilling and service costs, the costs per barrel of finding, developing, and acquiring (FD&A) oil and natural gas increased moderately in 2011 and remain below levels of 2008, says Fitch Ratings.

California: Neon spuds two more wells at Paloma

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:54:00 GMT

Neon Energy Ltd., Perth, has spudded the Paloma Deep-2 well and is preparing to spud the Paloma-3 shallow appraisal well in Paloma field in Kern County, Calif., in the San Joaquin basin.

UK: West of Shetlands Erlend basin seismic set

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:25:00 GMT

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. has begun shooting the first phase of a 3D seismic survey in the Erlend basin north of the Shetland Islands on the UK Continental Shelf.

Trinidad and Tobago launches deepwater bid round

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:09:00 GMT

Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs launched the 2012 Deepwater Bid Round late last month in which it offered deepwater areas on six blocks off northeastern and eastern Trinidad and Tobago.

Statoil groups eye next steps in Barents, North seas

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:36:00 GMT

Groups led by Statoil ASA plan to further explore the Barents Sea offshore Norway in the vicinity of the Skrugard and Havis discoveries while working toward a late 2018 production start for the Johann Sverdrup discovery in the North Sea west of Stavanger.

Salazar applauds collaboration, authorizes eastern Utah gas project

Wed, 09 May 2012 20:11:00 GMT

US Interior Sec. Ken Salazar hailed the collaboration that made an agreement possible as he signed the record of decision authorizing Anadarko Petroleum Corp.’s Greater Natural Buttes natural gas project in eastern Utah.

PanAtlantic Energy, formerly Vanco, taps Drennen

Wed, 09 May 2012 18:27:00 GMT

Vanco Overseas Energy Group, Houston, has changed its name to reflect its existing scope of operations and appointed a new president and chief executive officer to lead its deepwater exploration programs offshore Brazil, West Africa, and in the Black Sea.

Tajikistan: Government ratifies Manas PSA

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:09:00 GMT

The Tajik government has ratified the production sharing agreement with JSC Somon Oil, owned 90% by Manas Petroleum Corp., Baar, Switzerland.

Marathon to buy private Eagle Ford producer

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:33:00 GMT

Marathon Oil Corp. will buy Eagle Ford shale play participant Paloma Partners II LLC, Houston, for $750 million, Paloma Partners said.

Norway: Lundin spuds Albert prospect near Snorre

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:23:00 GMT

Lundin Petroleum AB, Stockholm, has spudded the 6201/11-3 exploratory well in PL519 on the Albert prospect in the North Sea offshore Norway.

Tecpetrol, PetroNova testing Llanos oil discovery

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:06:00 GMT

Tecpetrol Colombia has an oil discovery on the CPO-07 block in the Llanos basin in Colombia, said 20% working interest owner PetroNova Inc., Calgary.

Pliocene gas gauged at Mnazi Bay, Tanzania

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:45:00 GMT

Maurel & Prom, Paris, has plugged the Ziwani-1 wildcat on the Mnazi Bay concession onshore Tanzania after it tested natural gas from a Pliocene limestone, said partner Wentworth Resources Ltd., Dar es Salaam.

Namibia: Luderitz basin 3D seismic survey starting

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:24:00 GMT

A large 3D seismic survey is starting over as much as 4,150 sq km in the Luderitz basin offshore Namibia.

Colorado: Sand Wash Niobrara program to start

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:44:00 GMT

Quicksilver Resources Inc., Fort Worth, said it expects to begin an exploratory drilling program of as many as seven vertical and horizontal wells later this month in the Sand Wash basin of northwestern Colorado.

CGX group sees petroleum system offshore Guyana

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:12:00 GMT

CGX Energy Inc., Toronto, found water-bearing sandstones with hydrocarbon shows in the Eagle-1 wildcat on its 100% owned Corentyne Petroleum Prospecting License offshore Guyana.

Apco sees Vaca Muerta learning curve in Argentina

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:16:00 GMT

Multistage fracturing of the Vaca Muerta shale is expected to take place later this year in both the Coiron Amargo and Bajada del Palo concessions in Argentina, said Apco Oil & Gas International Inc., Tulsa, Okla.

Galilee basin shale-CBM exploratory well spudded

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:50:00 GMT

Exoma Energy Ltd., Brisbane, has spudded Alma-1, first well of the Galilee Joint Venture’s 2012 exploration program as a dual test of Permian coal seam gas and the Cretaceous Toolebuc shale.

Statoil, Rosneft to explore Barents, Okhotsk, land blocks

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:34:00 GMT

Statoil and Rosneft will establish Arctic joint ventures on four blocks in the central Russian Barents Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk offshore Russia and Norway.

Kenya rift basin well encounters more oil pay

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:07:00 GMT

Tullow Oil PLC said its Ngamia-1 exploratory well onshore Kenya has encountered a total of more than 100 m of oil pay over a gross oil-bearing interval of 650 m in multiple zones.

Uruguay's offshore basins draw BG, BP, Total, Tullow

Mon, 07 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Uruguay, which has no oil or gas production, moved toward its busiest exploratory period on record when the ANCAP hydrocarbon agency received 19 bids in late March for 8 of the 15 Atlantic offshore exploration blocks it offered.

Shale source rocks a game-changer due to 8-to-1 resource potential

Mon, 07 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

One way to get a handle on the enormity of potentially producible hydrocarbons contained in shale formations is to estimate how much recoverable oil and gas remain within the source rocks in which they were generated as compared to how much producible oil migrated into "conventional" reservoirs.

Colombia gets Llanos basin Mirador oil discovery

Fri, 04 May 2012 18:34:00 GMT

P1 Energy Corp., private Calgary independent, said it has an oil discovery on the LLA-32 block in Colombia’s Llanos basin.

ConocoPhillips group evaluating Alaska hydrate test

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:21:00 GMT

An industry-government group has recovered gas from methane hydrates through a well on the Alaska North Slope in a tightly controlled test in which carbon dioxide and nitrogen were injected and the pressure reduced.

Ultra further cuts spending, boosts production

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:08:00 GMT

The board of Ultra Petroleum Corp., Houston, has approved a further $100 million reduction in the previously approved $925 million capital budget for 2012 in light of continued deterioration in natural gas prices, but the company still expects its production to increase on the year.

Anatolia touts properties of Dadas shale in Turkey

Thu, 03 May 2012 15:29:00 GMT

Core analysis indicates that the Silurian Dadas shale in southeastern Turkey has properties that compare favorably with the Eagle Ford, Barnett, and Niobrara shales in the US and the Vaca Muerta shale in Argentina, said Anatolia Energy Corp., private Calgary independent.

Total gets Pelotas deepwater block off Uruguay

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:52:00 GMT

Total SA has been awarded an exploration license for a deepwater block in the Pelotas basin offshore Uruguay.

Noble halts Leviathan deepening in gas formation

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:33:00 GMT

The Leviathan-1 well has become the Levant basin’s deepest known penetration at a total depth of 21,400 ft, where Noble Energy Inc. halted drilling due to high pressure and mechanical limits of the wellbore design.

Chesapeake reports progress in wet gas window of Utica shale play

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:47:00 GMT

Chesapeake Energy Corp. outlined its drilling progress in the Utica shale in eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and northwestern West Virginia during a May 1 earnings call in which the company stressed that it is shifting its focus from natural gas toward liquids-rich plays.

Margarita development phase complete

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:23:00 GMT

A group led by Repsol Bolivia has completed first-phase development of Margarita natural gas field, reported BG Group, a 37.5% partner.

Fidelity touts Utah Cane Creek well test results

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:51:00 GMT

The potential of the Pennsylvanian Cane Creek play in the Paradox basin “appears significant,” said Fidelity Exploration & Production Co., a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc., Bismarck, ND.

Vanoil sees Sudan-like features on Rwandan seismic

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:46:00 GMT

Vanoil Energy Ltd., Vancouver, BC, said that 2D and 3D seismic to be shot in the second and third quarters of 2012 will lead to more advanced reservoir characterization techniques being applied for the purpose of choosing an optimum drillsite on blocks 3A and 3B in Rwanda.

Appraisal expands scope of Iraq Shaikan oil discovery

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:06:00 GMT

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. listed appraisal well results at its Shaikan field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including one well that recorded the deepest oil shows so far as indicated by both logs and core samples.

Completion continues at Kern Paloma deep test

Tue, 01 May 2012 17:39:00 GMT

Neon Energy Ltd., Perth, is preparing to spud the Paloma Deep-2 well in Kern County, Calif., to evaluate the areal extent of the zones of interest encountered in Paloma Deep-1 and to further evaluate in an uncompromised wellbore the Lower Stevens/Fruitvale section that tested gas-condensate.

Norway: Barents Sea 3D seismic survey starts

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:54:00 GMT

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. has begun shooting a 2,400 sq km multiclient 3D seismic survey in the Barents Sea offshore Norway.

Pacific Rubiales eyes PNG Triceratops structure

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:46:00 GMT

Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp., Toronto-based Colombian oil and gas operator, will take a farmout from InterOil Corp. to explore and further appraise the Triceratops structure on PPL 237 onshore Papua New Guinea.

Denbury to buy Gulf Coast Thompson oil field

Tue, 01 May 2012 13:24:00 GMT

Denbury Resources Inc., Plano, Tex., has agreed to buy Thompson field in Fort Bend County, Tex., from a private seller for $360 million cash and a production payment. Closing is expected in early June.

Poland: Aurelian spuds Zechstein reef oil prospect

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:28:00 GMT

Aurelian Oil & Gas PLC has spudded its first exploratory well in the Zechstein reef oil play on the Torzym concession in Poland’s central lowlands.

BP lets contract for second Mad Dog spar

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:39:00 GMT

BP Exploration & Production Inc. let a front-end engineering design contract to Technip for a spar hull and mooring systems for the second phase of development of deepwater Mad Dog oil and gas field in the Gulf of Mexico.

Aminex, Solo to test Ruvuma gas in southern Tanzania

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:29:00 GMT

Aminex PLC said its Ndovu Resources Ltd. Subsidiary will test a Cretaceous sandstone interval at 2,660-85 m at the Ntorya-1 indicated gas discovery well in the Ruvuma basin onshore southern Tanzania.

Israel: ATP, Isramco spud deepwater Shimshon well

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:15:00 GMT

ATP Oil & Gas Corp., Houston, said its ATP East Med BV subsidiary has spudded the Shimshon deepwater exploratory well on the Shimshon license in the Mediterranean offshore Israel.

USGS updates non-US oil, gas, NGL conventional resource estimates

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The US Geological Survey estimates that the world's undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional oil and gas resources outside the US total 565 billion bbl of oil, 5,606 tcf of natural gas, and 167 billion bbl of natural gas liquids, it said on Apr. 18.

Eni-Rosneft pact covers Barents, Black Sea exploration

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Eni SPA and Rosneft have signed a strategic cooperation agreement covering exploration of licenses in the Barents and Black Seas offshore Russia.

Williams boosts capacity of Atlantic Access Transco expansion

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Williams Partners LP's discussions with potential shippers and other market inquiries regarding the Atlantic Access expansion of its Transco interstate pipeline have prompted it to increase the project's capacity to 2.3 bcfd from 1.8 bcfd.

OGJ Newsletter

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

International news for oil and gas professionals

IHS studies complexity of Bone Spring oil play

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:41:00 GMT

The complexity of the Bone Spring horizontal oil play, which spans southeast New Mexico into West Texas, appears to offer limited upside for most exploration and production companies, reports IHS Herold in a report entitled, “Bone Spring Regional Play Assessment.”

Transerv to explore holdings in Canadian unconventional plays

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:58:00 GMT

Transerv Energy Ltd., West Perth, said it plans to drill exploratory wells starting about midyear in the Duvernay and Rock Creek plays to assess its Canadian unconventional oil and gas assets.

ONGC reports four discoveries in India

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:54:00 GMT

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. reported four discoveries in and offshore India.

OGX extends Waikiki complex offshore Brazil

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:09:00 GMT

OGX Petroleo e Gas SA has extended and proposes to rename its Waikiki complex of oil and gas discoveries in the Campos basin offshore Brazil Tubarao Martelo field.

More Mumbai High South redevelopment due

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:59:00 GMT

State-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp. has approved development of the western periphery of Mumbai High South oil field offshore western India.

Eni-Rosneft pact covers Barents, Black Sea exploration

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:55:00 GMT

Eni SPA and Rosneft have signed a strategic cooperation agreement covering exploration of licenses in the Barents and Black Seas offshore Russia.

Premier gets okay to develop Solan field

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:56:00 GMT

Premier Oil PLC has received UK government approval to develop Solan oil field on Block 205/26a in the West of Shetland area 160 km offshore Scotland.

Nova Scotia put hydraulic fracturing on hold for 2 years

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:27:00 GMT

The Nova Scotia government said it needs 2 more years to study hydraulic fracturing, a practice that has raised concerns about potential contamination of drinking water in some US areas where it has been used on unconventional plays.

Obama forms unconventional gas interagency working group

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

US President Barack Obama issued an executive order establishing an interagency working group to coordinate federal policies to support safe and responsible US unconventional natural gas resource development.

Continued R&D essential to tap US tight oil, panel told

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The successful recovery of oil and natural gas from previously inaccessible tight shales with hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling does not mean further research and development is unnecessary, experts told a US House Committee on Apr. 17.

UK seismicity report gives guarded nod to shale gas work

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Hydraulic fracturing in the UK has received guarded approval in a government review of a study about seismic events last year around a Cuadrilla Resources Ltd. shale-gas well near Poulton-le-Fylde (OGJ Online, Nov. 3, 2011).

Total UK cleans Elgin wellhead for kill operation

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Total Ltd. UK said workers cleaned waxy deposits off the Elgin platform wellhead in anticipation of a kill operation to stop a gas leak on well G4.

Exploration/Development Briefs

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

OGJ Newsletter

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

International news for oil and gas professionals

CNOOC gauges Yinggehai basin HP/HT gas find

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:46:00 GMT

CNOOC Ltd. said it has made a natural gas discovery in a high-pressure high-temperature reservoir at the Dongfang 13-2 well in the western South China Sea offshore western Hainan Island in China.

Thicker Toro gas found at P'nyang South, Papua New Guinea

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:55:00 GMT

A sidetrack of the P’nyang South-1 well in Papua New Guinea is interpreted to have extended the gas-bearing Toro sandstone 200 m deeper than the lowest known gas in P’nyang South-1, indicating an increase in the total gas column to 380 m, said Oil Search Ltd., Sydney.

Silurian, Ordovician shales to be explored in Lithuania

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:05:00 GMT

UAB Minijos Nafta will spud an exploratory well in May on the Gargzdai license in western Lithuania that will evaluate several targets including shales of Silurian and Ordovician age.

Ras Al Khaimah: Dahan to explore wider Saleh block

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:34:00 GMT

Amended concession agreements give Dahan Petroleum Ltd. rights to explore certain outlying areas of the Saleh concession in the Persian Gulf offshore Ras Al Khaimah, said DNO International ASA, Oslo.

Heidelberg downdip sidetrack finds deeper oil pay

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:20:00 GMT

An Anadarko Petroleum Corp.-operated downdip sidetrack of the Heidelberg appraisal well in the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico has confirmed oil pay, found an oil-water contact, and greatly increased the field’s known areal extent, said partner Eni SPA.

USGS updates non-US oil, gas, NGL conventional resource estimates

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:19:00 GMT

The US Geological Survey estimates that the world’s undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional oil and gas resources outside the US total 565 billion bbl of oil, 5,606 tcf of natural gas, and 167 billion bbl of natural gas liquids, it said on Apr. 18.

Wells abandoned off Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:06:00 GMT

The West African Transform Margin remains “highly prospective” despite two Anadarko Petroleum Corp.-operated exploratory wells that encountered water-bearing reservoirs with oil shows offshore Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, said Tullow Oil PLC.

Alaska: Buccaneer to buy Kenai Peninsula land rig

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:39:00 GMT

Buccaneer Energy Ltd., Sydney, signed a binding agreement to acquire a 12,000-ft depth capacity land rotary rig on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula from Marathon Oil Corp.’s Glacier Drilling Co. unit for $7.5 million.

BP group okays FEED for second-stage Shah Deniz development

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:13:00 GMT

BP PLC and partners in the Shah Deniz consortium have approved initial work on second-stage development of their giant natural gas and condensate field offshore Azerbaijan in a step that will include selection of an export route across Turkey and into Europe (OGJ, Feb. 6, 2012, p. 108).

Hunt to deepen multizone Kurdistan oil discovery

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Hunt Middle East plans to set intermediate casing at 3,700 m measured depth at a multipay discovery on the Ain Sifni PSC in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Norway: Barents Eik prospect found noncommercial

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:32:00 GMT

Preliminary results indicate that the 7228/1-1 exploratory well being drilled on the Eik prospect in the Barents Sea offshore Norway does not contain commercial hydrocarbons, said Norwegian Energy Co. ASA, Stavanger.