Global E&P

The multi-field Parque das Conchas project also produces from an FPSO, theEspiritoSanto, chartered by the BC-10 joint venture partners of Shell, Petrobras, and ONGC. The vessel, operated by SBM Offshore under a 15-year lease, is moored in 1,789 m (5,869 ft) of water and is designed to process 100,000 b/d of oil with gravity ranging from 16-42º API, and up to 45 MMcf/d of gas for injection or export. It is the world's first turret-moored floater to employ steel catenary risers for fluid transfer, according to SBM. First-phase production is drawn from the Abalone, Argonauta B-West, and Ostra fields.

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Petrobras' extended well test on Tupi field has been suspended for four months to resolve problems with subsea equipment. The company identified a problem with the fixation bolts used on a subsea tree and stresses that no oil was spilled and there was no equipment damage.

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Dutch contractors Allseas Group and Royal Boskalis Westminster plan to install a new gas pipeline across the Strait of Magellan in Argentina. Allseas will lay the 24-in. (61-cm) pipeline between Cape Espiritu Santo and Caper Virgenes in waters outside the eastern mouth of the Strait. Boskalis's scope includes trenching, backfilling, and pull-ins in near-shore areas. The length of the pipeline and shoreline sections is around 38 km (24 mi).

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Niko Resources is acquiring a 26% operated interest in the shallow water 2AB block off Trinidad from Centrica, subject to approval from the government of Trinidad and Tobago. The concession is close to the producing Angostura oil and gas field, which is said to have reserves of over 100 MMbbl of oil and 1 tcf of gas.

Northern Europe

Venture Production has proven further gas while appraising the eastern part of the Marram field in Morecambe Bay off northwest England. The jackupEnsco92 encountered a 469-ft (143-m) gross gas column within Ormskirk sandstone. Marram, discovered in 1993, is on trend with BHP's producing Hamilton and Lennox fields to the south in Liverpool Bay, and close to the Morecambe gas field complex.

Mediterranean Sea

Morocco has awarded two offshore exploration agreements to a consortium comprising Island International Exploration Morocco, Serica Energy, and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM). The contiguous Sidi Moussa and Foum Draa concessions extend across a total area of 12,700 sq km (4,903 sq mi) in the Agadir basin, a little explored region southwest of Agadir. Both agreements, valid for eight years, include obligations to reprocess existing 2D and 3D seismic. Prospective areas stretch from the coast out to waters up to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) deep.

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Repsol has achieved two new oil discoveries 45 km (28 mi) offshore Tarragona, northeast Spain. Early estimates suggest the Montanazo D-51 and Lubina-1 wells could produce oil over five to seven years via tiebacks to the company's Casablanca production platform. The combined flow from production tests on the two accumulations was 7,500 b/d of 31.5 – 32º API crude. If sustained, this could quadruple throughput at the platform, currently supplied by the Casablanca, Boqueron, Chipiron, and Rodaballo fields, and exported to the coast via a 43-km (26.7-mi) pipeline. Water depths for the two new finds are 736 m (2,415 ft) for Montanazo D-5 and 663 m (2,175 ft) for Lubina-1.

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Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. (EGPC) has invited bids for eight offshore exploration blocks in the Gulf of Suez, under its International 2009 Bid Round No. 1. All the blocks have been explored previously by combinations of local and western oil companies, including BP, Total, BG, and Apache. Extensive 2D and 3D seismic and well data sets are available for all the concessions except block 7, where coverage is limited to 2D data. Bids must be received by Nov. 1.

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ExxonMobil has started drilling its first deepwater well off Libya, using theNobleHomerFerrington. The A1-20/3 well is being drilled in Contract Area 20 in the Sirte basin, northeast of the town of Misrata. Elsewhere in Libya, the company has completed two 3D seismic surveys in offshore Contract Areas 20 and 21, and three 2D surveys in offshore Contract Areas 44, 20, and 21.

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Noble Energy appears satisfied with the results of its Tamar-2 appraisal well in the Matan license offshore Israel. The well was drilled in 5,530 ft (1,685 m) of water, around 3.5 mi (5.6 km) northeast of the Tamar-1 discovery, on the flank of the structure. Reservoir thickness and quality were consistent with those encountered at Tamar-1, and pressure data confirmed high quality reservoirs. Accordingly, the field's resources have been upgraded to 6.3 tcf, a 26% increase on the estimate following the initial discovery. Development plans are proceeding, with a view to producing first gas by 2012.

West Africa

Maersk has discovered oil with its first operated deepwater well offshore Angola, in the western part of block 16. The Chissonga-1 well was drilled by theLarsenDeepVenture drillship in 1,230 m (4,035 ft) of water, 315 km (196 mi) northwest of Luanda, targeting a post-salt play. On test, the well flowed 6,850 b/d of 36º API oil on a 36/54-in. choke. Maersk and its partners Sonangol, Odebrecht, and Devon plan two further exploratory wells on the block.

Chissonga-1 is the first deepwater discovery in Angola's block 16.

Sonangol is also a partner in the Mafumeira Norte project in block O, operated by CABGOC. This is the first-phase development of the Mafumeira field in Area A, designed to deliver 30,000 b/d of oil and 30 MMcf/d of gas. Sonamet (Lobito) built the platform, which produces via 14 wells linked to the existing Kungulo water injection platform.

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Ghana's Energy Ministry has formally approved the Phase 1 plan for the deepwater Jubilee development. Work on the FPSO and subsea facilities started in July 2008, and the program is on track to deliver first oil in the second half of 2010. The FPSO is configured to handle 120,000 b/d of oil, with water injection capacity of 230,000 b/d and gas export/injection throughput of up to 160 MMcf/d. Under the Unitization Agreement, Tullow Oil is operator of the Jubilee Unit Area, in partnership with Kosmos Energy, Anadarko Petroleum, Sabre Oil & Gas, EO Group, and Ghana National Petroleum Corp.

Black Sea

Melrose Resources had aimed to spud an appraisal well last month on its shallow water Kaliakra gas discovery in the Bulgarian sector. The field is 15 km (9.3 mi) from the company's Galata production platform, and may hold reserves of around 47 bcf. Melrose has further plans to develop the small Kavarna accumulation through this platform, and to convert the facility for a new gas storage role.

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Grup Servici Petroliere (GSP) has opened a new $10-million harborside facility at its construction yard in Constanta, Romania. The first offshore work will be a small steel jacket and dual-deck topsides for TPAO's second-phase Akcakoca gas field development in the Turkish Black Sea.

Caspian Sea

BP is set to jointly explore new acreage in the Azeri sector with state oil company SOCAR. The block, not previously drilled, covers an area of around 1,100 sq km (424.7 sq mi), 125 km (77.7 mi) southeast of Baku. Water depth ranges from 650-800 m (2,132-2,624 ft). The memorandum of understanding extends to development. Shafag and Asiman are two known structures on the hit-list.

SOCAR also has agreed to admit GDF Suez into the Absheron offshore block. GDF Suez will take a 20% stake in the exploration, development and production-sharing agreement, the remainder split between SOCAR and Total.

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Agip KCO has contracted Saipem for two drilling rigs, each with a power output of 3,000 hp, for installation on artificial islands as part of the Kashagan development in the Kazakh sector. Both are designed to operate in the harsh environment of the northern Caspian Sea. They should start their five-and-a-half year drilling program end-2010 or early in 2011.

Asia/Pacific

Gazprom has started exploration drilling on the Kirinskoye gas-condensate field offshore Sakhalin Island. Kirsinskoye is in the Kirinsky block in the Sakhalin II license area of the Sea of Okhotsk. It was discovered in 1992 and has estimated reserves of 75.4 bcm of gas and 8.6 million tons (7.8 million metric tons) of gas condensate. The plan is to develop the field using Russian-only contractors, with the gas exported through the country's new eastern overland trunkline system.

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Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) has signed a production-sharing contract with PVEP for block 05.1(a) in the Nam Con Son basin offshore southern Vietnam. It includes the Dai Hung field, which PVEP has operated since 2003. A second development phase was approved in 2007, with plans to bring onstream oil from new wells at the northern and southern end of the structures during 2008-11.

In offshore block 07/03, a well drilled on the Red Emperor prospect by the semisubHakurya-5 has proven hydrocarbons within multiple stacked reservoir layers, according to Pan Pacific Petroleum NL. Two of the reservoir zones flowed oil at a combined rate of 3,265.4 b/d and gas at 8.1 MMcf/d through a 48/64-in. choke.

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CUEL and Swiber have agreed to form a new joint venture company to pursue installation projects, primarily offshore Thailand. CUEL Swiber Offshore (Thailand) will also own and operate the derrick laybargeSwiberChai.

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Australian Worldwide Exploration is looking to drill up to four types of exploration plays on its offshore acreage in New Zealand's Taranaki basin. The first well to be drilled by theKan Tan-IV will be Hoki-1 on a large structure in a Cretaceous North Cape formation play in the PEP 38401 concession.

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