Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has authorized Wintershall to drill an exploratory well in the North Sea, using the semisub drilling rig Songa Delta.

ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Ltd. and OMV Petrom have encountered natural gas in the first deepwater exploration well in the Romania sector of the Black Sea.

The semisub Bredford Dolphin has started drilling appraisal well 16/2-11 for Lundin Petroleum in Norwegian North Sea license PL501.

Premier Oil is in the process of P&A’ing its East Fyne appraisal well 21/28a-11 in the UK North Sea.

The semisub Borgland Dolphin has spudded an appraisal well for Wintershall on the Maria discovery in the Norwegian Sea.

GDF SUEZ E&P UK has confirmed a high-pressure/high-temperature gas discovery in the Faraday prospect in the UK central North Sea.

Shell UIE has awarded Expro a five-year, multi-discipline well engineering program.

Kongsberg Maritime will supply dynamic positioning, thruster control, bridge navigation, vessel automation, safety, riser management, and environmental monitoring for two semisubmersible drilling rigs under way at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

Dragon Oil expects to employ three drilling rigs for all or part of this year on its fields in the Cheleken Contract Area of the Caspian Sea.