Germany’s RWE Dea Group and Azeri state oil company SOCAR have signed an exploration accord for a project in the Caspian Sea.

Dragon Oil has completed testing of two development wells in its Cheleken Contract Area fields in the Caspian Sea Turkmen sector.

Iran is aiming to discover 500 MMbbl of oil per year and 5 tcm (177 tcf) of gas between 2010-2015, according to the country’s Petroenergy Information Network, Shana.

Tunisian authority Comite Consultatif des Hydrocarbures has approved AuDAX Resources’ work program to drill one exploration well to 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in the Kerkouane permit offshore Tunisia.

Exploration drilling is under way on the Bamboo prospect in the West El Burullus concession, in Egypt’s offshore Nile Delta region, according to partner Dana Petroleum.

Dragon Oil expects to drill eight wells by end-2011 from its newly installed Dzheitune (Lam) B platform in the Caspian Sea.

Melrose Resources hopes the Romanian government shortly will approve its assigned interests in the Pelican and Midia concessions in the Black Sea.

Harrington Dubai has contracted the Saipem jackup Perro Negro 3 for a six-month drilling program in the Persian Gulf, with an option for a further 18 months.

Turkish state-owned petroleum company TPAO has completed drilling of two exploration wells in the shallow water sector of the Black Sea, according to partner Stratic Energy.

GDF Suez reports a second gas discovery in its West El Burullus concession in Egypt’s offshore Nile Delta.