Oilexco exercises Diamond option

Oilexco North Sea has extended its contract with Diamond Offshore's semisubmersible Ocean Guardian by a further year. The $127.75 million extension will keep the rig in the UK North Sea until April 2009.

Mar 29th, 2007

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK --Oilexco North Sea has extended its contract with Diamond Offshore's semisubmersible Ocean Guardian by a further year. The $127.75 million extension will keep the rig in the UK North Sea until April 2009.

From mid-April onwards, it should start drilling a three-leg appraisal well on the 1994 oil discovery Ptarmigan, currently operated by Chevron. Oilexco is paying 100% of the costs of the well, and on completion, will earn a 60% interest in the field.

Bad weather has delayed completion of the company's Brenda/Nicol development, both tied back to CNR's Balmoral FPU. Installation vessels were due to lay and connect the umbilical this week, which should allow production to start from both fields by the third week of April. The company then plans to focus on development of Ptarmigan and another oil discovery, Shelley.

It also has theSedco 712 on a long-term contract to sustain its various UK programs.

3/29/2007

More in Drilling & Completion

The Northern Drilling semisub West Mira.

Wintershall Dea cleared to resume drilling on Maria offshore mid-Norway

Wintershall Dea has secured approval from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority to use the Northern Drilling semisub West Mira for activities on the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea.

The company plans to acquire dozens more offshore, island, and land rigs by 2025.

ADNOC to boost offshore rig numbers

ADNOC Drilling has committed to a rig fleet expansion to support parent company ADNOC’s upstream growth plans in the UAE.

Websiteimage Sunset

Shelf sells two jackups

Shelf Drilling has issued an update on its jackup fleet.

Zeus is in block 12, between the Karish and Tanin leases, offshore Israel.

Energean identifies Zeus as next drilling target offshore Israel

Energean plans a 5.4-km (3.36-mi) subsea tieback of its recent Karish North discovery offshore Israel to the FPSO Energean Power.

The semisubmersible Mærsk Developer was built in 2009.

Shell contracts Maersk semisub for offshore Trinidad and Tobago wells

Shell subsidiary BG International has contracted the semisubmersible Mærsk Developer for a two-well development drilling program offshore Trinidad and Tobago.

Locations of the Joe-1 and Jethro-1 discovery wells offshore Guyana.

Offshore Guyana partners assess implications of heavy oil analysis

Analysis of oil samples taken from the recent Jethro and Joe discovery wells offshore Guyana suggests that both fields contain heavy crudes with a high sulfur content.

Well 25/7-7 was drilled in license PL 782 in the Norwegian North Sea.

ConocoPhillips finds oil, gas in North Sea Balder area

ConocoPhillips Scandinavia has discovered gas/condensate and oil in the central Norwegian North Sea.

The jackup Maersk Interceptor will drill an exploration well on license PL617 in the southern Norwegian North Sea.

MOL signs Maersk jackup for North Sea well

MOL Norge has contracted the Maersk Drilling jackup Maersk Interceptor for an exploration well on license PL617 in the southern Norwegian North Sea.

Drilling resumes at North Sea Liberator field

The semisubmersible Borgland Dolphin has spudded the Liberator A2 well in the UK central North Sea for operator i3 Energy.

Location of well 2/1-17 S in production license 019 C in the Norwegian North Sea.

Minor oil find in North Sea Gyda area

Aker BP has found sub-commercial oil while drilling in the Gyda area in the southern Norwegian North Sea.

The Maersk Integrator will undergo upgrades to turn it into a hybrid, low-emission rig.

Maersk Drilling commits to second ‘hybrid’ low-emission jackup conversion

Aker BP has awarded Maersk Drilling an extension to the current contract for the CJ70 XLE harsh environment jackup Maersk Integrator.

Prospects and the Zama discovery in block 7 offshore Mexico.

Talos provides offshore Mexico wells review

Talos Energy aims to complete a formal resource report on the Zama oil discovery offshore Mexico by year-end.

Stronger returns from this year’s offshore Norway wells

Equinor’s Echino South oil and gas discovery in the North Sea has lifted the total of new resources proven offshore Norway this year to 520 MMboe, according to Rystad Energy.

The semisubmersible drilling rig Island Innovator.

Capricorn books rig for North Sea Duncan well

Capricorn Norge AS has contracted Island Drilling’s semisubmersible Island Innovator to drill one well on the Duncan prospect in block 35/8 in the North Sea.