Exploration and Development

Albania: Shell takes Berati thrust belt farmout

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:01:00 GMT

A unit of Royal Dutch Shell will take a farmout from Petromanas Energy Inc., Calgary, on 852,000 acres in the Berati thrust belt onshore Albania.

Shales not yet a big factor in New Mexico gas

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:58:00 GMT

New Mexico remains an important gas producing state, but shale gas exploration and production have been minimal, says an article by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources at New Mexico Tech in Socorro.

Guyana: Repsol spuds Jaguar deep shelf wildcat

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:10:00 GMT

Repsol Exploracion SA has spudded the Jaguar-1 well on the Georgetown Petroleum Prospecting License offshore Guyana.

Tethys Tajikistan seismic targets deep presalt reefs

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:43:00 GMT

Tethys Petroleum Ltd. has tendered for 870 line-km of 2D seismic to be shot in mid-2012 in Tajikistan’s Dushanbe step and Vaksh valley to help it identify the location for a deep, presalt well.

TNK-BP to develop giant Russian Arctic oil fields

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:15:00 GMT

TNK-BP, Russia’s third largest oil company, will accelerate development of five giant oil fields above the Arctic Circle in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region in a deal said to be worth $12 billion.

Egypt: Sea Dragon, Dana Gas eye Kom Ombo drilling

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:47:00 GMT

Sea Dragon Energy Inc., Calgary, will drill two exploratory and three development wells on the Kom Ombo concession in southern Egypt.

PetroMagdalena flows oil, explores Llanos block

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:47:00 GMT

PetroMagdalena has 67.5% working interest subject to ANH approval in the Arrendajo block, just north of the Cubiro block.

Athabasca presses Montney, Nordegg light oil work

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:38:00 GMT

Athabasca Oil Sands Corp., Calgary, reported completion of Montney and Nordegg multistage fractured horizontal wells at Kaybob in the Deep Basin of Alberta.

Dutch North Sea well provides development clues

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:26:00 GMT

Sterling Resources Ltd., Calgary, said results of its F17-09 appraisal well in Netherlands North Sea Block F17a will assist the company in understanding how to optimally develop the discovery as part of a greater F-Quad project.

Noble group drills sixth Levant basin gas discovery

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:00 GMT

Noble Energy Inc. said its Tanin gas discovery on the Alon A license offshore Israel contains a gross resource of .9-1.4 tcf of gas and derisks other prospects nearby.

Namibia: Owambo basin structural geology studied

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:27:00 GMT

Frontier Resources International PLC, Houston, has begun early exploration efforts on Blocks 1717 and 1817 in the Owambo basin onshore northern Namibia.

Turkey: Gas storage field joint venture formed

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:24:00 GMT

Sky Harvest Windpower Corp., Vancouver, BC, said it has formed a joint venture under the name Levant Energy Inc., a British Columbia corporation, to develop underground natural gas storage fields in Turkey.

Indonesia: Premier to test deeper gas zone at Anoa

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:36:00 GMT

Premier Oil PLC said it has deepened the Anoa WL-5x development well on Natuna Sea Block A offshore Indonesia to a total depth of 11,012 ft to evaluate the potential of the Eocene-Oligocene Lama formation.

Kansas: Mississippi Lime play 3D survey under way

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:05:00 GMT

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. has begun shooting a multiclient 3D survey in the Mississippi Lime horizontal oil play area in southeast of Dodge City south-central Kansas.

Ukraine: KUB-Gas to evaluate two zones at Makeevskoye

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:32:00 GMT

KUB-Gas LLC has spudded the Makeevskoye-21 well in the Dnieper-Donets basin in northeastern Ukraine.

Jamaica: PCJ extends Sagres Energy offshore blocks

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:18:00 GMT

Petroleum Corp. of Jamaica has extended production sharing agreements held by a subsidiary of Sagres Energy Inc., Calgary, on offshore blocks 9, 13, and 14.

Petrobras mulls new Solimoes production cluster

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:04:00 GMT

Petroleo Brasileiro SA has gauged an oil and gas discovery on a 100% owned block in the Solimoes basin in Brazil’s Amazonas state.

OGJ Newsletter

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

International news for oil and gas professionals

BOEM schedules central gulf lease sale

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold a consolidated central Gulf of Mexico lease sale in New Orleans on June 20, the US Department of the Interior agency announced.

CAPP outlines fracing operating practices for shale, tight gas

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers on Jan. 30 announced a set of hydraulic fracturing operating practices that it has adopted to improve water management and fluids reporting for shale gas and tight gas development across Canada.

DNO and Tawke in Kurdistan: How an Iraq oil giant has emerged

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

The oil business abounds with "geological explorers." One might think that these geologists would be satisfied with simply finding the oil, then leaving it to reservoir and production engineers to get it out of the ground and off to market.

Madagascar's oil fortunes evolving slowly

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Madagascar Oil Ltd., Houston, said it is encouraged by brightening prospects for the blocks that contain its Tsimiroro and Bemolanga giant heavy oil deposits in nonproducing Madagascar.

SandRidge to acquire Dynamic Offshore

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:03:00 GMT

SandRidge Energy Inc., Oklahoma City, will acquire private Houston independent Dynamic Offshore Resources LLC for $1.275 billion including $680 million in cash and 74 million SandRidge common shares.

Uganda, Tullow sign agreements to complete farmout deal

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:39:00 GMT

Uganda’s government and Tullow Oil PLC ended months of wrangling over potential tax issues by signing two new production-sharing agreements that will enable the Anglo-Irish firm to complete a $2.9 billion farmout deal with Total SA and China National Offshore Oil Co (CNOOC).

Tanzania Mnazi Bay hunt seeks larger gas supply

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:33:00 GMT

Maurel & Prom, Paris, has spudded the Ziwani-1 onshore exploratory well on the 756 sq km Mnazi Bay concession in the Rovuma basin in coastal Tanzania.

Lower Cook Inlet Cosmopolitan leases being acquired

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:35:00 GMT

Buccaneer Energy Ltd., Sydney, will acquire a 25% operated working interest in the two main productive leases in the former Cosmopolitan Unit in Alaska’s Lower Cook Inlet from Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska Inc.

MEG Energy's Christina Lake reserves up 17%

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:49:00 GMT

MEG Energy, Calgary, said an independent analysis boosted its proved reserves of bitumen in the Christina Lake area of Alberta’s southern Athabasca region by 17% last year to 708 million bbl.

Paraguay: Amerisur gets two blocks, third pending

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:48:00 GMT

Amerisur Resources PLC, Cardiff, UK, said Paraguay authorities have approved two of three licenses the company had applied for in the Piriti and Pilar basins in western Paraguay.

Tecpetrol has oil find on Llanos CPO-6 heavy oil block

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:58:00 GMT

An oil discovery by Tecpetrol Colombia has been reported on the first of a nine-well exploratory well campaign on the CPO-6, CPO-7, and CPO-13 blocks in the Llanos basin of Colombia.

Falkland Islands: South Falkland basin wildcat spuds

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:38:00 GMT

Borders & Southern Petroleum PLC has spudded the 61/17-1 exploratory well on the PL018 license 140 km south of the Falkland Islands.

Uzbekistan: Tethys eyes study of North Ustyurt blocks

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:27:00 GMT

Tethys Petroleum Ltd. and Uzbekistan’s state Uzbekneftegaz have signed a memorandum of understanding that provides the framework for a joint study and the negotiation process for an exploration agreement relating to certain exploration blocks in the North Ustyurt basin in Uzbekistan.

McMoRan logs Sparta, Vicksburg pay at Blackbeard East

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:35:00 GMT

McMoRan Exploration Co., New Orleans, said its Blackbeard East ultradeep exploratory bypass well on the Gulf of Mexico shelf encountered potential hydrocarbons in the Sparta carbonate section of Eocene and Vicksburg section of Oligocene.

Brazil: Solimoes basin wildcat spudded at Coari

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:34:00 GMT

A subsidiary of HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA, Rio de Janeiro, has spudded the 4-HRT-7D-AM well on the Igarape Maria prospect in Coari municipality in the Solimoes basin onshore northwestern Brazil.

Porto pursues Lusitanian onshore targets in Portugal

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:27:00 GMT

Porto Energy Corp., The Woodlands, Tex., expects to receive interpreted results in 3 months from a 240 sq km 3D seismic program over the Montejunto anticline on its Torres Vedras concession onshore Portugal.

Kazakhstan: Tethys Aral rail terminal dedicated

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:40:00 GMT

Officials inaugurated the Aral oil storage and rail loading terminal in western Kazakhstan owned 50-50 by Tethys Petroleum Ltd. and its Kazakh oil trading partner’s company, Olisol Investment Ltd.

Resisting resource development stifles big source of jobs

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

What does US President Barack Obama have against employment related to resource development?

Exploration/Development Briefs

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Government energy help

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Within the contradictory bravado about energy in US President Barack Obama's State of the Union Speech Jan. 24 hid raw material for a constructive point about governmental help in the development of energy technology.

UK: Thick shale with gas logged near Liverpool

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

IGas Energy PLC said it logged a number of potentially gas-productive zones in 1,000 ft of shale encountered at its Ince Marshes onshore well in PEDL 190 south of Liverpool, England.

BOEM schedules central gulf lease sale for June 20

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:45:00 GMT

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold a consolidated central Gulf of Mexico lease sale in New Orleans on June 20, the US Department of the Interior agency announced.

EQT presses Marcellus, phases out Huron drilling

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:02:00 GMT

EQT Corp., Pittsburgh, has reported yearend 2011 reserves of 5.365 tcf equivalent compared with 5.22 tcfe a year earlier as it emphasizes Marcellus shale drilling and phases out Huron operations during 2012.

Energen pursuing Permian basin liquids plays

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:24:00 GMT

Energen Resources Corp., Birmingham, Ala., said it replaced its 2011 production and added 20% to its proved reserves for a yearend total of 343 million bbl of oil equivalent.

Colorado: Dejour details Piceance Kokopelli project

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:54:00 GMT

Dejour Energy (USA) Corp., Denver, said estimated ultimate recovery at its Kokopelli gas development project in the Piceance basin is expected to be 1.125 bcf/well of wet gas generating a sales stream of .98 bcf of dry gas plus 90,000 bbl of natural gas liquids and condensate.

Indonesia: CBM Asia to join Kalimantan coal gas block

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:21:00 GMT

CBM Asia Development Corp., Vancouver, BC, has signed a heads of agreement with PT Tranaco Utama, a private Indonesian company that holds first rights to undertake a production sharing contract for a 1,500 sq km coalbed methane block in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Essar touts its CBM reserves, resources in India

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:51:00 GMT

Essar Energy PLC said it has greatly expanded proved and probable reserves at its 500 sq km Raniganj coalbed methane exploration block in West Bengal and that the company has India’s most expansive CBM acreage with 10 tcf of gas resources across five blocks.

Wyoming: Comments sought on Uinta 3D survey

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:20:00 GMT

The US Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a proposed 3D seismic project in Uinta County southeast of Lyman and Mountain View, Wyo., BLM’s Kemmerer, Wyo., field office said on Jan. 20.

Kenya: Lokichar basin Ngamia exploratory well spuds

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:13:00 GMT

Tullow Oil PLC has spudded the Ngamia-1 exploratory well on Block 10BB in Kenya.

Tanzania: Heritage gets Lake Nyasa basin block

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:54:00 GMT

Heritage Oil PLC has been awarded the 1,934 sq km Kyela PSA in the northern onshore area of the Lake Nyasa basin in Tanzania.

Wyoming: BLM approves Dubois wildcat spot

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:25:00 GMT

The US Bureau of Land Management’s Lander, Wyo., field office said that a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and decision record have been signed for a proposed oil and gas exploratory well and associated facilities 10 miles north of Dubois, Wyo.

Nova Scotia: Reef exploratory well spud nears

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:06:00 GMT

Forent Energy Ltd., Calgary, plans to spud an exploratory well in February 2012 on the 514,000-acre Alton block in the Stewiacke Valley south of Truro, NS.

The Gambia: CAMAC Energy to get deepwater blocks

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:24:00 GMT

The ministry of petroleum of The Gambia has provisionally awarded two offshore exploratory blocks in the West African Transform Margin to CAMAC Energy Inc., HOUSTON.

Congo (Brazzaville): Murphy to take Azurite charge

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:16:00 GMT

Murphy Oil Corp., El Dorado, Ark., said it will take a $370 million noncash charge to fourth quarter 2011 earnings related to Azurite oil field offshore Congo (Brazzaville).

Georgia: Rioni spud set, shale plays under study

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:41:00 GMT

Strait Oil & Gas Ltd., private UK independent, is building location for the second in a two-well exploratory program in the Rioni basin onshore west-central Georgia.

Apache $2.85 billion deal hikes Anadarko liquids stake

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:07:00 GMT

Apache Corp., Houston, has agreed to acquire Cordillera Energy Partners III, a private exploration and production company with Anadarko basin operations, for $2.85 billion.

White House NOC issues National Ocean Policy draft

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

The White House’s National Ocean Council issued a National Ocean Policy draft on Jan. 12 that describes actions the federal government might take to address the most pressing challenges facing oceans and US coasts, as well as the Great Lakes.

Watching the World: The world energy dilemma

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

As much of the world heads towards increased confrontation with Iran, one of the questions that will naturally arise is whether the loss of Iran’s oil supplies can be made up elsewhere.

Exploration/Development Briefs

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Antioil agenda lies behind fights over pipelines, fracing

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

In battles over hydraulic fracturing and the Keystone XL pipeline, the oil and gas industry must never underestimate the resolve of its opponents.

Colorado: Comments due on Piceance drilling near Debeque

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:37:00 GMT

The US Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on Black Hills Plateau Production LLC’s proposed natural gas project northeast of Grand Junction, Colo., in the Piceance basin. Written comments for an environmental assessment, which is being prepared, will be accepted through Feb. 13.

Malaysia: Lundin finds Bertram potentially commercial

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:28:00 GMT

The Bertram-2 appraisal well has proved the 1995 Bertram discovery off Peninsular Malaysia to be a potentially commercial oil field, said Lundin Petroleum AB, Stockholm.

Chevron makes 13th Aussie gas find since mid-2009

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:07:00 GMT

Chevron Corp. has drilled the Satyr gas discovery on the Exmouth Plateau area of the Carnarvon basin, the company's 13th offshore gas find in Australia since mid-2009.

Iraq: ShaMaran relinquishes Pulkhana, Arbat blocks

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:55:00 GMT

ShaMaran Petroleum Corp., Vancouver, BC, has relinquished its 60% interest in the Pulkhana and Arbat blocks in Iraq's Kurdistan region for a consideration of $25 million payable to the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Ivory Coast: Rialto to explore, develop Block CI-202

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:47:00 GMT

Rialto Energy Ltd., Perth, has completed a 3D seismic survey on Block CI-202 offshore Ivory Coast and plans to start a three-well drilling program around the end of February.

Ghana: Light oil reservoirs found at Tweneboa complex

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:40:00 GMT

A Tullow Oil PLC-operated appraisal well at Ntomme in the Deepwater Tano block offshore Ghana has located 128 net ft of light oil pay in sandstone reservoirs of excellent quality.

Netherlands: North Sea trilateral well producing

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:34:00 GMT

Dana Petroleum PLC has started production from the Van Ghent well in Phase 1 of its Medway development project in the Netherlands North Sea.

New Zealand East Coast basin shale pursuit resumes

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:35:00 GMT

Exploratory drilling has resumed in New Zealand’s nonproducing East Coast basin after a long hiatus.

Norway: Eni gets Barents license east of Goliat field

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:15:00 GMT

Eni has been awarded a 431 sq km license just east of company operated Goliat oil field in the Barents Sea offshore Norway.

Angola: Deepwater 3D seismic survey to start

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:11:00 GMT

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. has agreed with Sonangol EP to shoot a multiclient 3D seismic survey over nearly 12,500 sq km offshore Angola.

Colombia: Putumayo exploratory well to test Neme

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:01:00 GMT

C&C Energia Ltd., Calgary, plans to run 7-in. production casing to total depth to test the Neme formation in the Cachalote-1^ST well on the 114,875-acre Andaquies exploration and production contract in the northern Putumayo basin in Colombia.

Partners suspend Colombia subsalt Topoyaco well

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:15:00 GMT

Partners decided to suspend work on the Yaraqui-1X well, a subsalt prospect on the Topoyaco block in the Putumayo basin foothills in Colombia, said PetroMagdalena Energy Corp.

Newfoundland: Shoal Point to acquire License 1079R

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:23:00 GMT

Shoal Point Energy Ltd. will gradually acquire 100% working interest from NWest Energy Corp. in 500,000 acres in Exploration License 1079R offshore western Newfoundland.

Petro Harvester to buy Mississippi, Louisiana fields

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:07:00 GMT

Petro Harvester Oil & Gas LLC, Frisco, Tex., plans to acquire producing, long-life oil properties in central and southern Mississippi and southern Louisiana from Denbury Resources Inc., Plano, Tex.

Papua New Guinea: Triceratops-2 drilling near Bwata

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:08:00 GMT

InterOil Corp., Houston, has spudded the Triceratops-2 appraisal well in PPL 237 in Papua New Guinea.

Mozambique appraisal well cuts 777 ft of gas pay

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:17:00 GMT

A well that appraised the Anadarko Petroleum Corp. group’s Lagosta and Camarao discoveries has logged the largest pay count of any well in the complex offshore Mozambique to date.

Congo (former Zaire): Block III exploration to start

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:58:00 GMT

A $30 million work program will begin within weeks on Block III in Congo (former Zaire) near the border with Uganda, said SacOil Holdings Ltd., Bryanston, South Africa.

Albania: San Leon sees multisystems on Durresi block

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:40:00 GMT

San Leon Energy PLC has identified several large oil and gas prospects across the many petroleum systems from new 2D and 3D seismic on the 4,208 sq km Durresi license in the southern Adriatic Sea offshore Albania.

Somalia: Dharoor block exploratory wells started

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:50:00 GMT

Horn Petroleum Corp. has spudded the Shabeel-1 wildcat on the Dharoor block in Puntland, northern Somalia, toward a planned total depth of 3,800 m, said Africa Oil Corp., Vancouver, BC, which owns a 51% equity interest in Horn Petroleum.

UK: Premier spuds East Fyne appraisal well

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:27:00 GMT

The UK unit of Premier Oil PLC has spudded the East Fyne appraisal well on UK Central North Sea Block 21/28a.

Iraq: Genel to acquire Longford's Chia Surkh stake

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:18:00 GMT

Genel Energy PLC plans to acquire a 40% undivided interest in the Chia Surkh block in Iraq’s Kurdistan region from Longford Energy Inc., Calgary. Genel already owns a 20% interest in the block.

Kazakhstan: Zhagabulak wells adding oil pay

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:07:00 GMT

Aral Petroleum Capital LLP has spudded Well 306 in East Zhagabulak field in the North Caspian basin in Kazakhstan about 1 mile south of Well 308, which is to be tested in February.

Norway: Avaldsnes south area resource likely smaller

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:22:00 GMT

Results from the 16/5-2S appraisal well will most likely reduce the current resource estimate for the southern part of the Avaldsnes discovery in the North Sea off Norway, said Lundin Petroleum AB, Stockholm.

Colombia: Llanos Mirador heavy oil discovery gauged

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:11:00 GMT

NCT EG Energy Group Colombia has gauged an oil discovery at the Mani-1 well on the Llanos 27 block in Colombia.

Alaska: Buccaneer Kenai Loop gas output starts

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:14:00 GMT

Buccaneer Energy Ltd., Sydney, started gas production from its Kenai Loop-1 well onshore Alaska’s Cook Inlet on Jan. 14, 2012.

Oregon enhanced geothermal well project nears

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:47:00 GMT

A field test of a technology known as enhanced geothermal systems could take place in mid-2012 at the inactive Newberry volcanic site in Deschutes County, Ore., 20 miles south of Bend.

Bahamas: Initial 3D seismic results encouraging

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:11:00 GMT

Initial results from a 3D seismic survey on Bahamas blocks is encouraging, and technical studies and well planning represent the final phase of derisking in preparation for exploratory drilling by March 2013, said Bahamas Petroleum Co. PLC.

Namibia: Orange basin deepwater 2D survey starts

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:51:00 GMT

Spectrum Geo Inc., in partnership with CGGVeritas and National Petroleum Corp. of Namibia, is shooting a 2D multiclient seismic survey in the deepwater Orange basin off Namibia.

CNPC gets three Afghanistan Amu Darya blocks

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:33:00 GMT

China National Petroleum Corp. has been awarded three Amu Darya basin exploratory blocks in Afghanistan’s 2011 license round.

Statoil seeks to prolong oil bounty from NCS

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Statoil said the Norwegian Continental Shelf, where it made the world's largest 2011 oil discovery at Aldous, will remain the company's backbone for years.

Exploration/Development Briefs

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Testing nears at Davy Jones ultradeep gulf prospect

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

McMoRan Exploration Co. plans to flow-test its Davy Jones-1 ultradeep discovery well on the Gulf of Mexico shelf as soon as it recovers a fish lost in the hole as it prepared to run production tubulars.

Watching Government: Ohio quakes in perspective

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director James Zehringer ordered operations halted at a fluid injection well near Youngstown on Dec. 30, 2011, after scientists from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory found a possible link to mild earthquakes.

Buru aims to capitalize on Canning basin successes

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:19:00 GMT

Buru Energy Ltd., Perth, is gearing up to capitalize on what it describes as a significant series of exploration successes in the onshore Canning basin of northwest Western Australia during 2011.

Alberta: Mannville horizontal oil drilling under way

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:27:00 GMT

FairWest Energy Corp., Calgary, has spudded its first horizontal well targeting light oil in the Mannville formation at Berry Creek, Alta., 115 miles east-northeast of Calgary.

Norway: Kvitebjorn ocean bottom seismic survey set

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:52:00 GMT

Statoil ASA has let a contract to Reservoir Exploration Technology ASA, Oslo, for an ocean bottom seismic survey over Kvitebjorn field in the North Sea off Norway.

Connectivity observed at Morocco oil shale pilot

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:28:00 GMT

San Leon Energy PLC said it has established connectivity between the two test wells in its Tarfaya oil shale project in coastal southern Morocco.

Exploration set in Atlantic, Beaufort frontiers off Canada

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:19:00 GMT

Three major international oil companies are joining forces in varying groups for exploratory drilling off Newfoundland and a 3D seismic survey in the Beaufort Sea offshore Canada.

Ukraine: Dnieper-Donets gas-condensate flow up

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:39:00 GMT

KUB-Gas LLC placed the Olgovskoye-12 well near Lugansk, Ukraine, in the eastern Dnieper-Donets basin on commercial production on Jan. 1, 2012, and the current rate is more than 4.6 MMcfd of gas.

Tajikistan: Tethys seeks partner for subsalt exploration

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:16:00 GMT

Tethys Petroleum Ltd. said its BST20 well in the center of Beshtentak field in Tajikistan, initially thought to be draining a separate fault compartment, appears from more recent production performance to be in possible communication with the BST103 well.

San Joaquin Paloma deep test flows gas-condensate

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:47:00 GMT

Australian explorers appear to have a gas-condensate discovery after having tested the first two of eight potential hydrocarbon pay zones in California’s San Joaquin basin.

Norway: DNO group spuds on Kalvklumpen prospect

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:39:00 GMT

Det Norske Oljeselskap has spudded an exploratory well on the Kalvklumpen prospect in the PL 414 license on Block 25/6 in the North Sea off Norway.