Archive for the ‘Drilling Operations’ Category
US Lower 48 exploration and production companies are under pressure from investors demanding greater capital discipline, positive free cash flow, and increasing returns. The Lower 48’s independents, who traditionally pursued growth at all costs, must n…
BLM hears fresh concerns at ANWR coastal plain DEIS public meetings
February 14th, 2019 by Latest News
Most of the concerns heard by the US Bureau of Land Management during eight public meetings about the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for proposed oil and gas activity on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain have involved possi…
BP Developments Australia, acting operator of a joint venture in Western Australian offshore exploration permit WA-359-P, has signed a contract for a rig to drill the Ironbark-1 wildcat well. Diamond Offshore Drilling’s Ocean Apex semisubmersible drill…
BHP Group’s board approved $696 million in funding to develop the Atlantis Phase 3 expansion in the US Gulf of Mexico and $256 million in funding to drill an additional appraisal well in Trion field offshore Mexico. BHP’s Atlantis decision came after A…
Cairn Energy Group has let a 110-day contract to Maersk Drilling for the Maersk Developer semisubmersible drilling rig with an option for four additional wells offshore Mexico. The contract is expected to start in September, Maersk Drilling said in a f…
The US drilling rig count is up 4 units to 1,049 rigs working for the week ended Feb. 8, according to Baker Hughes data. The count is also up 74 units from the 975 rigs working this time a year ago. With a 4-unit gain week-over-week, 1,029 rigs are dri…
Apache trims upstream capital budget for 2019
February 8th, 2019 by Latest News
Houston independent Apache Corp. reduced its preliminary upstream capital budget for 2019 by 20% but expects full-year total adjusted production to trend to the midpoint of the projected 410,000-440,000 boe/d target—a 3% reduction from previous estimat…
West Qurna-2 second-phase drilling starts
February 8th, 2019 by Latest News
Lukoil has started drilling production wells in the second phase of development of West Qurna-2 oil field in southern Iraq. It has signed contracts for the drilling of 54 wells targeting the Late Cretaceous Mishrif formation and 3 wells targeting the E…
Seadrill, Sonangol form Sonadrill combine
February 7th, 2019 by Latest News
Seadrill Ltd. and Sonangol EP affiliate Empresa de Servicos e Sondagens de Angola Ltda. will each bareboat two drillships into Sonadrill—a 50-50 joint venture focused on opportunities in Angolan waters. Seadrill will manage and operate the drillships f…
The international rig count for January reached 1,023, down 2 units from the 1,025 counted in December 2018, and up 63 units from the 960 counted in January 2018, according to Baker Hughes data.