The partners in the Sara and Myra licenses offshore Israel have completed acquisition and processing of 3D seismic.

Construction group Lamprell has won a $317-million contract for two new jackup rigs from National Drilling Co., Abu Dhabi.

Dragon Oil has completed two more development wells and one sidetrack in its Cheleken Contract Area program in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea.

Dana Petroleum expects to participate in a record 20 exploration and appraisal wells this year.

Burullus Gas Co has contracted Diamond Offshore Drilling’s semisubmersible Ocean Endeavor to work offshore Egypt.

Iran has discovered a new gas/liquids field in its sector of the Persian Gulf.

GDF Suez’s latest exploration well in Egypt’s offshore Nile Delta region has encountered gas shows, according to partner Dana Petroleum.

Offshore fabricator Lamprell says it is experiencing a higher level of rig refurbishment than in recent years, although average expenditure for this type of work remains low, on a par with last year’s levels.

Petrom has completed a campaign to improve recovery from its Lebada Est and Lebada Vest fields in the Histria block in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea.

Maritime Industrial Services Co. (MIS) has settled a contract dispute with Mosvold Middle East Jackup (MEJU).

Delek Drilling has updated its deep and shallow water gas development activity offshore Israel.

Bontan Corp. has closed a private placement financing, raising funds for work in two drilling licenses offshore Israel – Sarah and Myra – where it has an 11% working interest.

Aquaterra Energy has won a $3-million contract to supply a high pressure drilling riser for use on projects in the Eqyptian sector of the Mediterranean Sea.

Candax Energy has completed a workover designed to reconnect the parted tubing on its El Bibane 3 (EBB-3) well 18 km (11.2 mi) offshore Tunisia in the Gulf of Gabes. The operation started on March 19 and the jackup barge was released on April 2.

Dragon Oil has completed drilling and initial testing the Dzheitune (Lam) B/141 development and appraisal well in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea.

RWE Dea has opened its new division in Turkmenistan, trading as RWE Dea AG, Turkmenistan Branch.

UK independent Dana Petroleum plans to drill an exploration well this year in the South October concession in the eastern Gulf of Suez offshore Egypt.

Turkish authorities have granted Extrem Energy an extension of its Candarli Bay license in the Aegean Sea until October 2012.

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.