Dolphin Drilling, Eni, Europa Oil & Gas and Hunting share offshore drilling project updates
The offshore energy sector is seeing renewed momentum as operators and service providers ramp up exploration and development efforts across key regions.
Key highlights:
- Dolphin Drilling has secured a $60 million contract with Repsol for plug and abandonment (P&A) operations on seven wells.
- Eni resumes offshore drilling in Libya after a five-year hiatus, signaling a return to stability in the region.
- Europa Oil & Gas has received a 12-month extension to its EG-08 production sharing contract (PSC) in Equatorial Guinea, paving the way for progress on the Barracuda prospect.
- Hunting Plc is delivering advanced OCTG accessories to support complex deepwater wells offshore Guyana, reinforcing its role in the Stabroek Block’s development.
Dolphin Drilling to P&A seven wells for Repsol
Repsol has contracted Dolphin Drilling’s semisub Borgland Dolphin for well P&A operations. The seven-well, 220-day (minimum) program is due to start in late 2026.
Currently, the rig is warm stacked in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, undergoing a special periodic survey.
Estimated value of the Repsol contract is $60 million. Dolphin continues to market the rig for further opportunities.
Eni resumes drilling offshore Libya after 5-year hiatus
The North African branch of Italian energy company Eni has resumed its exploration drilling in an offshore area northwest of Libya after a five-year hiatus, the Libyan state-run national oil corporation (NOC) said on Oct. 5, according to Reuters.
In 2024, Eni and bp have resumed exploration in Libya after onshore drilling was halted in 2014, the year when the North African country's civil war erupted and divided the country between two administrations.
Eni resumed operations in a well where drilling operations were halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NOC said.
Europa Oil & Gas receives 12-month PSC extension
For the EG-08 production sharing contract (PSC), the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development for Equatorial Guinea has granted Europa Oil & Gas a 12-month extension to the initial two-year period of the PSC.
Europa has a 42.9% equity interest in Antler Global Ltd., which holds an 80% working interest in the EG-08 PSC, with the remaining 20% held by GEPetrol, the national oil and gas company of Equatorial Guinea, representing the state’s interest.
As a result of the extension, the first sub-period of Phase 1 of the PSC will expire on Oct. 4, 2026.
As announced last month, the EG-08 Block contains 2.196 Tcf (Pmean), with the primary
prospect being Barracuda, which is estimated to be 878 Bcf (Pmean).
Europa CEO William Holland said, “I am pleased to have secured the Ministers approval for this extension which will provide plenty of time to finalise the farm-out process for EG-08, where we continue to make good progress. Concurrently, the technical team are working on detailed engineering plans for drilling the Barracuda prospect, which we hope to spud in 2026.”
Hunting ships OCTG accessories for complex wells offshore Guyana
Hunting Plc has started delivering oil country tubular goods (OCTG) accessories to support deepwater drilling operations on the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.
The $20 million contract, awarded earlier this year by an unnamed oilfield service company, covers engineering of accessories to withstand extreme pressures and environmental conditions associated with the complex well completions.
Recently, Hunting’s Subsea Technologies division completed deliveries of titanium stress joints for riser systems for the Uaru Field development in the same block.
About the Author
Jeremy Beckman
Editor, Europe
Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.