Regional Reports

Africa

Exploration programs begin in northwest Indian Ocean

The arrival of Russian seismic survey vessel Akademik Fersman in Port Victoria, Seychelles, over the weekend is further evidence of petrochemical c...

Majors mass to reassess South Africa's offshore plays

Exploration off South Africa has entered a new era, with Total/CNR preparing to drill the country's first ultra-deepwater well in 1,450 m (4,757 ft...

Operators eyeing new opportunities in Somalia must also weigh risks

Following huge East Africa discoveries offshore Mozambique and Tanzania, attention is creeping further north to Somalia, which may have geology sim...

Asia

Reliance Industries gains two blocks offshore Myanmar

Myanmar’s Ministry of Energy has awarded Reliance Industries (RIL) two blocks under the country’s 2013 offshore bid round.

Primeline begins offshore 3D seismic survey in block 33/07 of East China Sea

Primeline Energy Holdings Inc. reports that its contractor, China Oilfield Services Ltd., has begun a 3D seismic survey in block 33/07 of the East China Sea.

ROC Oil, Petronas to redevelop fields offshore Malaysia

ROC Oil has farmed into 50% of a production-sharing contract (PSC) offshore Malaysia that includes three fields operated by Petronas Carigali.

Chevron acquires acreage offshore Myanmar

Chevron Corp.’s Myanmar subsidiary, Unocal Myanmar Offshore Co. Ltd., has received exploration rights in a block located offshore Myanmar, in the Rakhine basin.

Myanmar awards more offshore blocks

Two more companies have issued details of their newly awarded exploration permits offshore Myanmar, following the country’s 2013 offshore bid round.

Australia & New Zealand

New Zealand offers offshore blocks in six basins

Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges has announced New Zealand’s third annual block offer for petroleum exploration permits.

BAS receives Gippsland basin permit cancellation for Vic/P66

Bass Strait Oil Co. Ltd. has received formal notice canceling Petroleum Exploration Permit Vic/P66 in the Gippsland basin, with the process formally approved by the National Offshore Petroleum Titl...

GLOBAL DATA

Asia/Pacific is one of the most diverse regions in the world; stretching from Pakistan and India in the west to South Korea and Russia's Sakhalin Island in the far east and north, and Australia and...

Woodside signs Pluto LNG deal with Korea Gas Corp.

Woodside has agreed to supply up to 2.2 MM metric tons (2.5 MM tons) of LNG over three years to Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS), starting in April 2014.

Woodside signs frame agreement with OneSubsea

Woodside has signed a five-year frame agreement with OneSubsea covering subsea equipment and services offshore Australia.

Regional Report: Australia & New Zealand

Canada

Enegi to drill its first well offshore eastern Canada

The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board has extended Period 1 of an exploration license held by Enegi Oil by one year.

Next-phase Hibernia subsea facilities in place

Detailed engineering and construction continues on the gravity-based structure and topsides for the Hebron platform offshore Newfoundland & Labrador, according to partner Suncor Energy.

Husky gets go-ahead on White Rose development plan

Husky Energy (TSX:HSE) has received regulatory approval on an amended South White Rose field development plan, the third satellite extension at the White Rose field in the Atlantic Region.

Study revives exploration interest offshore Nova Scotia

Beicip-Franlab has used basin modeling technologies developed by IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) to reassess Nova Scotia’s offshore hydrocarbon potential.

North Sea Stella enters drilling, subsea installation phase

Ithaca Energy (TSX: IAE, LSE AIM: IAE) is moving forward on its Greater Stella Area project in the UK central North Sea.

Regional Report: Canada

Latin America

BHP bids most for tracts offshore Trinidad and Tobago

The recent deepwater block bidding offshore Trinidad and Tobago drew bids on two tracts out of the six on offer.

PTTEP teams up with BG offshore Brazil

PTTEP has agreed on a farm-in to four deepwater exploration blocks in a frontier basin offshore Brazil.

SeaBird updates contract awards

SeaBird Exploration has provided updates on offshore contract awards for vessels and seismic surveys.

SAExploration and COMESA to jointly develop seismic projects in Mexico

SAExploration Holdings Inc. has signed a three-year strategic cooperation agreement with COMESA to jointly source, acquire, and process 2D and 3D seismic data.

Range to drill offshore targets from Trinidad shore

Range Resources has completed a farm‐in agreement with Niko Resources for the Guayaguayare block offshore and onshore Trinidad.

Regional Report: Latin America

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Middle East

Iran to improve production-sharing contract terms

Iran is working on a new model for oil contracts for foreign investors, according to news service Shana.

Israel revises Leviathan lease terms

Delek Group says Israel’s government has granted two title deeds in lieu of offshore licenses 349/Rachel and 350/Amit licenses.

Zarat development a step closer offshore Tunisia

PA Resources (PAR) is preparing an updated plan of development for the Zarat field offshore Tunisia in cooperation with state oil company ETAP.

Iran, Oman in talks on offshore projects

Hassan Rouhani, president of Iran, expects to sign oil and gas cooperation agreements during his current visit to Oman, according to news service Shana.

Noble Energy inks Tamar gas deal with Jordanian companies

Noble Energy has signed a 15-year gas sales agreement via NBL Eastern Mediterranean Marketing with the Arab Potash Co. and the Jordan Bromine Co., both based in Amman, Jordan.

Regional Report: Middle East

North Sea & Europe

Production stimulation measures under review for North Sea Breagh gas field

Production has been shut down at the Breagh facilities in the UK southern North Sea to remove fouling within the slug catchers and to replace level control instrumentation.

Dana, PAR line up well on Lille John offshore Denmark

PA Resources (PAR) says it has received most of the required approvals to divest a 40% operating interest in license 12/06 in the Danish North Sea to Dana Petroleum.

Providence reviews options for Barryroe offshore Ireland

Providence Resources is in farm-out discussions for its Barryroe oil field development in the North Celtic Sea basin offshore southern Ireland.

Centrica scouts rig for Doyle well offshore UK North Sea

Centrica subsidiary Hydrocarbon Resources Ltd. (HRL) has agreed to farm in as operator of blocks 113/26b and 27c, and adjacent block 113/22a in the East Irish Sea.

Parkmead acquires EWE stake in Athena in North Sea

Parkmead has completed its acquisition of an additional 20% stake in UK North Sea license P.1293 from EWE Vertrieb.

Regional Report: North Sea & Europe

Russia

Lukoil switches offshore Kazakhstan focus

Lukoil has agreed to sell its 50% stake in Caspian Investment Resources (CIR) to Sinopec for about $1.2 billion.

Gazprom Neft joins Arctic oil spill research project

Gazprom Neft has joined the Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology Joint Industry Program (JIP) run by nine international oil and gas companies.

Rosneft, GE form engineering partnership

Rosneft and General Electric have signed an agreement to form a series of joint ventures.

Gazprom revamps Arctic Russia operations

Gazprom has decided to relocate its Gazprom Dobycha Shelf subsidiary to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island.

Industry cooperation key to Arctic development

There are already numerous international and national rules and guidelines aimed at mitigating the risks of Arctic petroleum operations.