Middle East Drilling and Completion News

Lamprell has won a $227-million contract from an unnamed drilling contractor for construction of a newbuild jackup rig.

North Drilling Co. (NDC) is preparing to transfer the Sahar-1 rig to the Persian Gulf to drill on the Farzad-A field.

ATP Oil & Gas (NASDAQ:ATPG) and ATP East Med B.V. have started drilling at the Shimshon well in the Levant basin offshore Israel with the Ensco 5006 drilling unit.

Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO) has contracted GSP Offshore’s jackup GSP Jupiter.

Lamprell has confirmed that National Drilling Co. (NDC) Abu Dhabi has exercised options for two further new jackups, with a combined value of over $333 million.

Pars Oil and Gas Co. (POGC) expects to start drilling the oil layer of the South Pars field in the Persian Gulf during the second half of May.

DNO International has had to shut in production from two fields in block 8 offshore Oman.

National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC) has allocated $182 million to further development of the South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf.

Gulf Drilling Inc. of Qatar has ordered from PPL Shipyard Pte Ltd a newbuild Pacific Class 400 jackup drilling rig for delivery next March.

Gulf Drilling International (GDI) has ordered a Pacific Class 400 jackup from PPL Shipyard in Singapore for delivery in March 2013.

GeoGlobal Resources has completed processing and interpretation of 1,360 sq km (525 sq mi) of 3D seismic over the Myra and Sara licenses offshore Israel.

Enerserv W.L.L has contracted Aker Solutions for 600 sets of surface wellheads and trees for the Awali oilfield in the Persian Gulf, offshore Bahrain.

National Iranian Drilling Co. (NIDC) is drilling more than 70 wells for five new development phases of the South Pars field in the Persian Gulf.

Saudi Aramco has contracted Seadrill’s jackup West Callisto for duty offshore Saudi Arabia.

Drilling will soon start on the shallow water Pinnacles 1 exploration well offshore Israel, according to partner Delek Drilling.

The newbuild jackup Bahari 1 has completed the A12Z well on the East Zeit field offshore Egypt.

Pharaonic Petroleum Co. has drilled a new gas production well in its Mediterranean concession offshore Egypt.

DNO says a new phase of development drilling is under way on the Bukha field offshore Oman.

Noble Energy has confirmed another natural gas discovery offshore Israel.

Delek Group says the Noble Energy-operated Tanin #1 exploration well offshore Israel has reached its target.

GeoGlobal Resources expects to receive the drilling rig Noble Homer Ferrington by late March or mid-April.

The drilling rig Homer Ferrington has arrived at the Leviathan 1 well site in the Rachel license in the deepwater Levantine basin.

Compañía Perforadora Mexico (PEMSA) has contracted Lamprell to supply a newbuild jackup drilling rig.

Noble Energy has discovered potentially large volumes of gas with a well in the greater Levant basin offshore Cyprus.