Shell Starts Drilling at Cebus Well, Offshore French Guiana

Shell has started drilling at Cebus prospect (GM-ES-4), the third well of the current four well exploration programme in the Guyane Maritime Permit (French Guiana), Northern Petroleum, which holds a stake in the permit, has announced.

The drilling operations are being conducted with the Stena Ice Max drillship.

Northern through holding 50 per cent of Northpet Investments Limited, owns a net 1.25 per cent interest in the offshore exploration licence ‘Guyane Maritime’. Northern is in partnership with Shell (Operator, holding 45 per cent), Total (25 per cent), Tullow Oil (27.5 per cent) and Wessex Exploration (also holding 1.25 per cent through owning the remaining 50 per cent interest in Northpet Investment Limited).

Keith Bush, Chief Operating Officer of Northern stated:

“This is a new, exciting opportunity for the joint venture to further establish the oil production potential in French Guiana. We look forward to the results of this well with great interest.”

Source

Northern Petroleum: More Drilling to Be Conducted Offshore French Guiana

Northern Petroleum Plc  announces the joint venture decision to extend current drilling operations on the Guyane Maritime permit in French Guiana.

The GM-ES-3 exploration well is the second well of a four well exploration drilling campaign that commenced in 2012 to follow up the oil discovery at GM-ES-1 in 2011.

The GM-ES-2 well had exploration objectives in the major Cingulata fan system within which the original oil discovery was made in two ages of formation. GM-ES-3 has been planned to deliver exploration information in the subsidiary Priodontes fan system to the north west of the Zaedyus oil discovery.

The GM-ES-3 well intersected a 50 metres gross section of oil stained sands in the lower part of the Bradypus fan which was not a target formation at this location although it is also within the main Cingulata fan system. A 325 metres gross interval of sandstones was encountered in the targeted Priodontes fan, but these were logged with no significant hydrocarbon shows.

It has been decided by the Shell, Total, Tullow Oil and Northpet Investments Limited joint venture that this well provides a suitable location to drill deeper in a plan to penetrate the full post Atlantic rift sequence. The duration of this additional drilling will depend upon results from the formations encountered.

“This information may prove crucial to a fuller understanding of the exploration potential of this very large licensed area. Although this extension may cause a small delay to the further wells in this exploration programme, the earlier the deeper formations are examined, the better the advantages to be gained from its use in the second part of the drilling programme and aid efforts towards discovering more oil,” said NorthernPetroleum in a press release.

The well is now targeted to reach a final depth of 6438 meters subject to operational factors.

Derek Musgrove, Managing Director of Northern stated: “Following the oil discoveries of GM-ES-1 in 2011, the task before us was to explore the licence to ascertain its wider potential. Whilst the sand package in the primary target proved not to have significant hydrocarbons at this location, the oil staining encountered in the Bradypus fan is encouraging of the broader active hydrocarbon systems and potential.

“Northern supports this fuller exploration approach to this well. It is likely to provide Partners with further geological data imperative to gaining further understanding of the complex geology in this area”

To read more on the Joint Venture’s operations in French Guiana click here.

Source

Worldwide Field Development News Dec 29 – Jan 4, 2013

This week the SubseaIQ team added 3 new projects and updated 9 projects. You can see all the updates made over any time period via the Project Update History search. The latest offshore field develoment news and activities are listed below for your convenience.

Asia – Far East

CNOOC Bolsters South China Sea Production

Jan 3, 2013 – Production has started at CNOOC’s 100% owned Liuhua 4-1 field in the South China Sea. Liuhua 4-1 is a subsea development consisting of one production manifold and eight production wells. They are produced through the Nanhai Tiao Zhan FPS and then pumped to the Nanhai Sheng Li FPSO. Peak production is expected to be reached later this year. In addition, the company completed an adjustment project on the Panyu 4-2 and 5-1 oilfields. The objective of the project was to achieve more efficient production from the two fields through shared facilities.

Europe – North Sea

North Sea Energy Provides Badger Update

Jan 3, 2013 – North Sea Energy’s operating committee recently held a meeting to discuss the path forward regarding the Premier Oil-operated Badger prospect in the UK North Sea. Badger is a structural/stratigraphic trap with an objective in lower Cretaceous Coracle and Punt sandstones. Further delineation is required and critical risk elements need to be mitigated before a drilling decision can be made. The company hopes to be in a position to make that decision by the end of 3Q 2013.

Det Norske Submits Ivar Aasen POD

Jan 3, 2013 – Det norske, on behalf of the partners in Production License 001B, submitted to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy the Plan for Development and Operation of the Ivar Aasen field. If approved, first oil could be seen in 4Q 2016. Information gained during appraisal drilling indicates that the field contains 150 mmboe and will produce at a steady rate of 23,000 boepd. The development will also include the Hanz and West Cable discoveries. Hanz will be utilized by a subsea installation tied back to a production platform servicing Ivar Aasen and West Cable.

Project Details: Ivar Aasen

BP Brings Skarv Field Online

Jan 3, 2013 – BP announced the start of production systems at the Skarv field on December 31, 2012. Over its life, Skarv is expected to produce over 100 million barrels of oil and condensate and over 1.5 trillion cubic feet of rich gas. Water depth at the location is almost 1,500 feet. Development facilities include a new harsh environment FPSO, five subsea templates and a 50 mile export pipeline. Production rates will gradually increase over the year to an expected maximum daily rate of 165,000 boed.

Project Details: Skarv/Idun

S. America – Other & Carib.

Priodontes Well Spuds Off French Guiana

Jan 3, 2013 – Shell, as operator of the Guyane Maritime Permit (French Guiana), spudded an exploration well at the Priodontes prospect on December 29, 2012. The well is being drilled by the Stena Drillmax ICE (UDW drillship). Well GM-ES-3 is the second well in the current drilling program and is testing a different area of the Cingulata fan system that contains the recent Zaedyus oil discovery. Results of the Priodontes exploration will allow the license partners to gain a better understanding of the area’s geology and overall potential.

S. America – Brazil

PanAtlantic to P&A Jandaia

Jan 4, 2013 – Jandaia reached its targeted depth without encountering any indication of hydrocarbons. PanAtlantic and its partner Panoro Energy have plugged and abandoned the well. Jandaia, which is located in concession BM-S-71, was the third well in Vanco’s three-well program offshore Brazil. Sabia, the first well in the program, encountered volume at the low end of the pre-drill estimate and the second well, Canario, was dry.

Mediterranean

Noble Close to Flipping Switch at Tamar

Jan 3, 2013 – With the Inauguration of the Tamar production platform Noble Energy and the other Tamar interest holders are one step closer to the realization of first gas which is expected in April of this year. Discovery of the deepwater reservoir took place four years ago and development has progressed on schedule and within budget. The platform was installed in 800 feet of water and has the capacity to process 1.2 bcfd from its subsea wells. Once processed, the gas will flow through 93 miles of subsea pipeline to the Ashdod Terminal on Israel’s coast. Tamar is estimated to hold 8.4 tcf of gas reserves and its development will help bring the country to the verge of energy independence.

Project Details: Tamar

N. America – US GOM

FMC Awarded Delta House Contract

Jan 3, 2013 – LLOG Exploration awarded a subsea equipment contract to FMC Technologies relating to the recently approved Delta House development project in the deep waters of Mississippi Canyon in the US Gulf of Mexico. Under the contract FMC will supply nine subsea trees, four subsea manifolds, five multiphase meters with all associated topside control systems and subsea distribution systems. Delivery of the $114 million order will take place this year.

Project Details: Delta House

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Tullow: No Commercial Oil at Zaedyus-2 Well (French Guiana)

Tullow Oil plc (Tullow) announces that the Zaedyus-2 appraisal well (GM-ES-2), offshore French Guiana, has completed drilling. The well, drilled 5km up-dip from the Zaedyus-1 well, encountered a total of 85 metres of reservoir quality sands with oil shows in several objectives but did not encounter commercial hydrocarbons at this location.

Results of drilling, logging and sampling to date have shown that the reservoirs at this location are not in communication with Zaedyus-1. Integration of information obtained from the two wells with the 3D seismic data suggests the reservoirs are geologically separated from Zaedyus-1.

As Zaedyus-2 is up-dip and disconnected from Zaedyus-1, this result has no bearing on the bulk of the undrilled prospectivity which is located downdip of Zaedyus-1. Future drilling on the Zaedyus fan system should therefore target the significant upside in the Zaedyus down-dip prospects and the down-dip elements of Zaedyus Deep.

The Zaedyus-2 well was drilled in the Guyane Maritime licence using the Stena DrillMax Dynamically Positioned Drillship. The well was drilled in water depths of 1,894 metres and has been drilled to a depth of 6,200 metres and logging operations are ongoing. The second well in this four-well programme is Priodontes-1, targeting an adjacent prospect within the same Cingulata fan system, and is expected to commence drilling in early December.

Tullow has a 27.5% stake in the Guyane Maritime licence and is partnered by Shell, who are operator and hold a 45% stake, Total (25%) and Northpet (2.5%), a company owned 50% by Northern Petroleum plc and 50% by Wessex Exploration plc.

Angus McCoss, Exploration Director, commented today:  “While the Zaedyus-2 well has not proved an up-dip extension of the Zaedyus discovery towards the apex of the fan, the well has provided very valuable data for the exploration and appraisal strategy of the Cingulata fan system going forward. The French Guiana block remains highly prospective, particularly down-dip and still offer excellent potential for multiple exploration successes. These early lessons learned by the joint venture are being incorporated into our ongoing well campaign.”

Tullow: No Commercial Oil at Zaedyus-2 Well (French Guiana)| Offshore Energy Today.

Second Well Follows Guyane Oil Discovery

Northern announces that as anticipated by Shell France on June 23rd, The Stena Drillmax ICE drillship commenced operations on the GM-ES-2, the second well on the Guyane Maritime permit on Friday 6th July. GM-ES-2 follows up on the Zaedyus oil discovery in late 2011, which encountered 72 metres of net oil pay in two turbidite sand systems successfully proving that the Jubilee play is mirrored across the Atlantic from West Africa.

The potential of this well was indicated by the Chief Executive of Shell France, Patrick Romeo who stated that, “drilling should last three months and Shell hopes to discover a reserve of at least 300 million barrels of oil” as reported by Dow Jones Newswires. Also, Tullow’s Exploration Director, Angus McCoss was quoted in the New York Times as having said the field could be larger than Jubilee, with 1 billion barrels or more of recoverable oil.

The partner interests in offshore Guyane are:

Shell 45.0% and operator

Tullow 27.5%

Total 25.0%

Northpet Investment 2.5% (Northern owns a 50% equity interest in Northpet Investments)

Derek Musgrove, Managing Director of Northern stated:

“We are pleased to be following up on the highly successful Zaedyus discovery so quickly. Through this project shareholders may benefit from this potentially very high impact event without any great cost exposures. I look forward to updating shareholders on progress.”

In accordance with the AIM Rules – Guidance for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies, the information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and signed off by the Exploration and Technical Director of Northern, Mr. Graham Heard CGeol.

FGS, who has over 35 years experience as a petroleum geologist. He has compiled, read and approved the technical disclosure in this regulatory announcement. The technical disclosure in this announcement complies with the SPE/WPC standard.

Source

Stena Icemax Drillship Gets Assistance from Fairmount (South Africa)

Fairmount Marine’s multipurpose support vessel Fairmount Fuji has assisted drill ship Stena Icemax while making a stop-over at Cape Town. On request of the owner of Stena Icemax the Fairmount Fuji carried out several cargo runs from the port of Cape Town to the anchorage.

Stena Icemax was under way from the Far East to French Guiana and required to make a stop-over at Cape Town for crew change and replenishment. Stena Icemax is a 228 meters long new build drill ship designed for deep water operations in harsh environments.

Fairmount Fuji is a multipurpose support vessel with a spacious aft deck of 280 square meters and with towing capabilities. Directly after assisting Stena Icemax the Fairmount Fuji was prepared for her next assignment in West Africa region, where she will act as a accommodation and general support vessel for an offshore operator.

Source

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French Guiana: Shell to Begin Guyane Drilling in Mid 2012

Northern Petroleum announces plans to commence drilling in mid 2012 on the Guyane permit offshore French Guiana, to follow up on the Zaedyus oil discovery in late 2011 that demonstrated the prospectivity of this licence area off South America. This is a relatively low cost investment for Northern with high upside potential.

In the Zaedyus exploration well, 72 metres of net oil pay was discovered in two turbidite sand systems in the first phase of drilling – successfully proving that the Jubilee play is mirrored across the Atlantic from West Africa.

The second phase of drilling is planned to involve the spudding of a de-lineation well on the discovery, likely to be followed by an exploration well on one of the neighbouring prospects within the area captured by 3D seismic survey. Additional 3D seismic is also planned to be acquired from midyear to further delineate leads on trend and similar to the Zaedyus discovery mapped on 2D seismic along the length of the deepwater margin.

To undertake these operations Shell, who took over as Operator from Tullow Oil on 1 February 2012, has contracted the Stena DrillMax ICE drillship, which is expected to commence operations midyear subject to government consents.

The partner interests in offshore Guyane are: Shell 45%, Tullow 27.5%,  Total 25%,  Northpet Investments 2.5% (Northern owns a 50% equity interest in Northpet)

Derek Musgrove, Managing Director of Northern stated:

”Northern is pleased that the successful Zaedyus oil discovery is to be quickly followed by a new drilling campaign. This will not only further delineate the discovery structure, but will also move forward to drill some of the similar prospects defined by 3D seismic in order to confirm the wider significant potential of this permit area covering the entire length of the prospective continental shelf edge of Guyane, a distance of about 200 kilometres.”

Source

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Recap: Worldwide Field Development News (Mar 23 – Mar 29, 2012)

This week the SubseaIQ team added 2 new projects and updated 35 projects. You can see all the updates made over any time period via the Project Update History search. The latest offshore field development news and activities are listed below for your convenience.

Asia – Caspian Kashagan Looking to Year-End to Come Online Mar 26, 2012 – The Kashagan field is continuing to be developed in several phases with the first phase targeting first production by year-end 2012. Kashagan is located 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Atyrau, and is the first large-scale offshore petroleum development in Kazakhstan. Project Details: Kashagan Project Australia Roc Oil Offloads Interest in Taranaki Basin Mar 23, 2012 – Roc Oil has withdrawn its interest from offshore exploration block PEP 52181, located in the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. The company said it has been working to farm-down its 50 percent interest in the block to provide a more balanced equity position prior to entering into a commitment to drill an exploration well on the Kaheru prospect. “The decision to withdraw from the permit was based on the need for ROC to carefully balance expenditure and risk profiles over the coming years, as the Company enters into an intensive period of activity, especially at the Beibu Gulf project, offshore China, and the Balai Cluster Risk Service Contract, offshore Malaysia,” commented Roc’s CEO, Alan Linn in a statement. Project Details: Kaheru Africa – Other BG Group Makes Fourth Gas Discovery in Tanzania Mar 26, 2012 – BG Group hits gas pay again, offshore Tanzania, making this the fourth discovery in the area. Preliminary evaluation of well results indicate gross recoverable resources are in the range of 2.5 to 4.4 Tcf of gas. The discovery was made in Jodari-1, which is situated in a water depth of 3,770 feet (1,150 meters). The well is part of the current three-to-four well exploration program, which also includes the acquisition of 965 square miles (2,500 square kilometers) of 3D seismic data in Block 1. BG Group will now target the Mzia-1 location in Block 1, about 14 miles (23 kilometers) to the north of Jodari-1. Project Details: Jodari Eni Scores Again in Area 4 Offshore Mozambique Mar 26, 2012 – Eni has made a “giant” natural gas discovery in Area 4 offshore Mozamique at the Mamba North East 1 exploration prospect. The operator said that the results of this well are of special importance since they increase the resource base of Area 4 by at least 10 Tcf of which 8 Tcf of these contained in reservoirs exclusively located in Area 4. This new discovery further improves the potential of the Mamba complex in Area 4 offshore Mozambique, now estimated to hold at least 40 Tcf of gas-in-place. Mamba North East 1 encountered a total of 787 feet (240 meters) of gas pay in multiple high-quality Oligocene and Eocene sands. It proved reservoir continuity and pressure communication with Mamba South 1 and Mamba North 1 wells. During 2012, Eni plans to drill at least another four wells in nearby structures to fully assess the upside potential of the Mamba Complex. Project Details: Mamba South/North S. America – Other & Carib. Total to Appraise Zaedyus Discovery in 2012 Mar 26, 2012 – Total plans to conduct an extensive drilling campaign, in the Guyane Maritime License offshore French Guiana, and a further 3D seismic survey in 2012. The license contains the Zaedyus discovery in a water depth of 6,719 feet (2,048 meters). Project Details: Zaedyus Europe – East Gazprom Conducting Engineering Studies on Shtokman Mar 26, 2012 – Total announced that engineering studies are underway for the portion of the Shtokman project that will allow the transport of gas by pipeline through the Gazprom network (offshore development, gas pipeline and onshore gas and condensates processing facilities on the Teriberka site) and for the LNG part of the project. This will allow the export of 7.5 Mt/y of LNG from a new harbor located in Teriberka, representing approximately half of the gas produced by the first development phase. Estimated to hold 3.8 Tcm of natural gas and 37 million tons of gas condensate, Shtokman is situated in the central region of the Russian sector of the Barents Sea, about 372 miles (599 kilometers) north of the Kola Peninsula in water depths measuring 1,050 to 1,115 feet (320 Project Details: Shtokman Europe – North Sea Operations at North Sea Tartan Platform to Restart Soon Mar 29, 2012 – Bridge Energy reported that the Tartan and Duart field operator, Talisman, is working to restart operations on the Tartan platform and projects production to restart at the end of March. The extended shutdown on Tartan has enabled completion of a comprehensive work scope which should increase the near term uptime of the facility, said Bridge. The increased host uptime and a period of flush production following the long shut down is expected to partly offset the delayed production volumes. Technip to Supply Umbilicals for Cheviot Development Mar 29, 2012 – Technip’s wholly-owned subsidiary Duco received a contract by Bluewater Industries for the Cheviot field development. The contract covers engineering, project management and fabrication of four static steel tube umbilicals, four dynamic thermoplastic umbilicals, and a thermoplastic subsea intervention valve umbilical. The total length is 7.5 miles (12 kilometers). The umbilicals will control four drill centers from a floating semisubmersible production facility. The project is scheduled for delivery in 2014. Project Details: Cheviot Total Believes Gas Coming from Rocks above Elgin Reservoir Mar 29, 2012 – Total may have confirmed the source of the gas leak at its Elgin platform in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The firm insists that the still-alight flare on the platform does not pose any immediate risk. After reports early Thursday morning that Total had a “good idea” of the source of the gas leak on its Elgin platform, a spokesperson for the firm told Rigzone: “We believe the hydrocarbons are coming from a rock formation above the reservoir at a depth of 4,000 meters [13,120 feet].” On Wednesday evening, Total released a press statement explaining the situation regarding the flare on the Elgin platform. “The flare is an integral part of the platform’s safety system. In an emergency, it is used to safely evacuate all the gas from the platform. During the incident, it performed this task perfectly, allowing everyone to evacuate safely,” said Total. “The flare is still lit because when the platform is shut down and de-pressurised in an emergency, it cannot be fully purged as done in a controlled shutdown. This is perfectly normal. Some liquids do remain in the system and these liquids are now evaporating. As these liquids evaporate, the flow of hydrocarbons to the flare will exhaust itself and the flare should burn out.” Project Details: Elgin/Franklin Sevan Marine to Perform Study of Skrugard/Havis Development Mar 29, 2012 – Statoil has awarded Sevan Marine a study of the potential application of a Sevan FPSO for the company???s Skrugard/Havis development in the Barents Sea. The study will be performed from April 2012 to May 2013 and will be focused on further development of the Sevan FPSO as basis for future preferred concept. Project Details: Skrugard NPD Gives Faroe Approval to Drill Clapton Prospect Mar 27, 2012 – The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Faroe Petroleum a drilling permit for wellbore 2/8-18. The well will be drilled from the Maersk Guardian (350??? ILC) jackup in Production License 440 S. Well 2/8-18 S is the first exploration well to be drilled in the production license. Project Details: Clapton Aker to Deliver Subsea Connection System for Draugen Project Mar 27, 2012 – Aker Solutions received a contract from Shell to deliver subsea connection systems for the Draugen field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The scope of work includes the delivery of complete tie-in connection systems for production flowlines and umbilicals for the expansion of the Draugen field. Management, engineering and procurement of the connection systems will be performed at Aker Solutions’ head office in Fornebu, Norway. Equipment deliveries will be made from 2012 to 2013. Project Details: Draugen Fogelberg Sits Idle as Consortium Mulls Development Options Mar 27, 2012 – Faroe Petroleum reported that the Fogelberg consortium is mulling development plans for the discovery. The discovery is close to the Asgard production and transportation system but it???s currently at maximum levels and the timing of the Fogelberg project therefore remains uncertain. Oil industry groups have several ongoing initiatives to de-bottleneck the gas export system and bring forward new developments in the area. Discovered in 2010, Fogelberg is estimated to contain approximately 3 to 15 MMcm of recoverable oil equivalent. Project Details: Fogelberg Glenlivet Discovery Moving Towards Field Development Plan Submission Mar 27, 2012 – The partners in the Glenlivet discovery are working to mature the project towards concept selection and Field Development plan submission. The field could become a significant part of the new planned UK west of Shetland gas gathering system, which is being installed by Total as part of the Laggan and Tormore gas field development. Glenlivet is situated approximately 19 miles (31 kilometers) from the proposed Laggan and Tormore gas export pipeline to Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands. Glenlivet was discovered in 2009 when the well encountered gas pay in the Paleocene sandstone. Project Details: Glenlivet Det norske to Commence Development Drilling on Jette Field Mar 27, 2012 – Det norske received consent to use the Transocean Barents (UDW semisub) to drill the Jette field. A plan for development and operation for Jette was approved in February 2012. Det norske will develop the field with a seabed facility tied into the Jotun field. Jette???s planned production start is during the first quarter of 2013. The water depth of the site is 417 feet (127 meters). Drilling is expected to commence during the second quarter of 2012 and last about 155 days. Project Details: Jette (Jetta) Statoil, Det norske Pen Pre-Unit Agreement for Johan Sverdrup Development Mar 27, 2012 – Statoil and partners have signed a pre-unit agreement regarding the Johan Sverdrup discovery in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. According to the agreement, the owners of production licenses 265 and 501 will cooperate in the planning of the Johan Sverdrup field towards an investment decision and submission of the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO). Statoil has been appointed as the working operator. The work will form the basis for developing and establishing the best field solution for Johan Sverdrup. An agreement for the development and operational phase will be signed between the licensees ahead of the submission of the PDO to Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Project Details: Johan Sverdrup Apache Lines Up Rig to Drill Tryfan Prospect Mar 27, 2012 – Apache has signed a letter of intent for the Borgsten Dolphin (mid-water semisub) to drill the Tryfan prospect. Tryfan is an Eocene channelized sand play in the UK Northern North Sea which benefits from a strong seismic amplitude response. Tryfan has gross prospective resources estimated internally by Valiant to be 24 MMboe. Project Details: Tryfan Valiant Spuds Tybalt Appraisal Well Mar 27, 2012 – Valiant Petroleum has commenced drilling on the Tybalt appraisal well in the UK sector of the North Sea. The work program, which includes a well and a contingent test, is designed to prove commercially exploitable volumes via a nearby infrastructure which includes the Magnus fields and the Dons Area complex. Tybalt is an Upper Jurassic discovery originally made by Valiant in 2010 with gross resources estimated at Valiant to be 7 MMbbls. The well is being drilled by the Borgsten Dolphin (mid-water semisub) rig and is expected to take 35-40 days to complete. Project Details: Tybalt Ithaca Increases Stake in Carna Discovery Mar 26, 2012 – Ithaca Energy has agreed to take over operatorship and increase its working interest in the Carna discovery, located in the UK sector of the North Sea. The transaction with Centrica North Sea Gas Limited increases the company’s working interest in the Carna discovery to a material level from 16 to 32 percent. Carna straddles Blocks 43/21b and 43/22c in a water depth of 177 feet (54 meters). The discovery was made in early 2009 when a gas column in excess of 1490 feet TVD (true vertical depth) and net pay of 127 feet TVD was encountered in well 43/21b- 5Z. The well tested gas at a gross stabilized rate of 8.8 Mmcf/d on a 48/64th choke from a vertical well penetrating the Carboniferous. The Company has agreed to a work program with all of the Joint Venture partners to accelerate development studies of the Carna discovery and, if appropriate to submit a field development plan for approval to the Department of Energy and Climate Change before the end of 2012. Project Details: Carna Total Closes Elgin/Franklin Production Mar 26, 2012 – Total has shut down oil and gas production at its Elgin/Franklin platform in the North Sea following an ongoing gas leak. The firm confirmed that all 238 personnel on the platform have been accounted for and that an aerial surveillance flight has been scheduled to inspect a sheen reported in the vicinity of the platform. Production started from Elgin in March 2001, and Franklin began producing in August 2001. Peak production for hub facility is 280,000 boepd, or 175,000 bpd of condensate and 547.4 MMcf/d (15.5 MMcm/d) of gas. Project Details: Elgin/Franklin Lundin Completes, Tests Johan Sverdrup Appraisal Well Mar 26, 2012 – Lundin Petroleum announced that the Johan Sverdup appraisal well 16/2-11 encountered a 177-foot (54-meter) gross oil column in Upper and Middle Jurassic sandstone reservoir in an oil-down-to situation. A comprehensive logging and coring program was successfully completed as well as a production test in the previously untested Middle Jurassic reservoir. The data from this first well in the 2012 PL501 appraisal program confirmed good reservoir properties. This is in line with the earlier Johan Sverdup wells where the Upper Jurassic reservoir was of excellent quality with a high net to gross ratio. A full scale production test (DST) in the Middle Jurassic reservoir to investigate its flow properties resulted in flow rates, in excess of 2,700 bopd through a restricted 40/64 choke, with good reservoir properties indicating a lateral continuous reservoir. Lundin will now sidetrack the well towards the east to investigate the lateral thickness and property variations of the Jurassic reservoir as well as establish an oil water contact to investigate the possibility of a deeper oil-water-contact in this area. Project Details: Johan Sverdrup BP Spuds North Uist Mar 26, 2012 – BP has commenced exploratory drilling on the North Uist prospect in the UK sector of the North Sea. The well has several reservoir objectives, the most significant of which is North Uist at the Upper Jurassic level. The well will also test the edge of the Cardhu prospect where sandstones of Paleocene age may be present. The Stena Carron (DW drillship) is drilling the well in 4,236 feet (1,291 meters) of water. Project Details: North Uist Statoil Gets Govt Nod to Drill Top Holes on Stjerne Field Mar 26, 2012 – Statoil received consent to drill top holes in development well 30/9-22 on the Stjerne, formerly Katla, field. The plan for development and operation of Stjerne was approved by the Storting in September 2011. Stjerne was later included in the Oseberg Sor field and will be subsea tied-back to the Oseberg Sor platform. The consent applies to drilling of four top holes on the following wells: 30/9-M-11 H, 30/9-M-12 H, 30/9-M-13 H and 30.9-M-14 H. The water depth of the site is about 338 meters (103 meters). Project Details: Oseberg Center Technip Receives Subsea Contract for Quad 204 Project Mar 26, 2012 – Technip received a contract from BP to develop the subsea infrastructure for the Quad 204 project in the UK sector of the North Sea. The Quad 204 project involves replacing the existing Schiehallion production facility with a new purpose built FPSO and installing extensive new subsea infrastructure. This major redevelopment will enable the potential recovery of an additional 450 million barrels of resource and extend production through 2035. The awarded contract includes the removal of the existing Schiehallion FPSO and mooring system; recovery of all existing flexible risers and dynamic umbilical systems; positioning and installing a new FPSO and associated mooring system and anchor piles; supply and installation of 21 dynamic flexible risers; installation of four static and dynamic umbilicals; coating, welding and installation of 13 steel pipelines, totaling 31 miles (50 kilometers); supply and install numerous flexible jumpers; installation of various manifolds, jumpers and infrastructure associated with the field development. Offshore work is slated to begin in 2013. Project Details: Schiehallion (Quad 204) Barryroe Proves to be More than a One-Hit Wonder Mar 23, 2012 – Providence Resources has further flow tested the Barryroe discovery offshore southern Ireland. After an additional 17-foot thick net gas-bearing section was perforated to test the potential of the upper part of the sandstone section, highly productive flow rates of 7 MMcf/d and 1,350 bopd were measured. Providence added that a preliminary modeling of the pressure data indicates that a co-mingled flow rate of 17 MMcf/d and 3,350 bopd at a flowing well-head pressure of around 500 pounds per square inch is achievable. Well suspension operations are now complete and the GSF Arctic III (mid-water semisub) rig will now be demobilized to the UK. Project Details: Barryroe Statoil Hits Oil Pay Near Oseberg Mar 23, 2012 – Statoil has made a small oil discovery in PL053 production license in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The consortium is in the process of concluding drilling operations in exploratory well 30/6-28S. The well, drilled by the COSLPioneer (mid-water semisub), proved an oil column of around 40 feet (12 meters) in the Statfjord formation. The estimated volume of the discovery is in the range of 12 to 18 MMbbl of recoverable oil equivalents. Statoil said the find is located beneath the Oseberg field and is a good candidate to be connected to the Oseberg production facilities. The oil discovery lies in the Crimp prospect, which was the secondary target for exploration well 30/6-28S. The primary target was the Crux prospect that Statoil earlier defined as a high-impact gas opportunity. With the Crux prospect Statoil tested a hypothesis for the existence of a separate gas-filled structure underlying the Oseberg field. However, the Crux prospect did not contain hydrocarbons. Project Details: Oseberg Center S. America – Brazil Waimea, Waikiki to be Declared Commercial in 2012 Mar 23, 2012 – Dow Jones Newswires reported that OGX plans to declare the Waimea and Waikiki offshore oil fields commercial in 2012. The Waimea field, which came online in January, will be commercially declared in the second quarter; and Waikiki will also receive a similar declaration some time this year. The operator plans to submit a development plan for Waimea to Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency, or ANP, in the second quarter. Upon approval, additional wells will be connected to the OSX-1 FPSO. Waimea is currently producing about 12,500 bopd from a single production well, with output expected to reach 40,000 to 50,000 bopd by the end of 2012. Increased output is set to come from two additional production wells that will be connected this year, with engineering studies underway to gauge the feasibility of adding a fourth production well. Furthermore, OGX plans to bring Waikiki online in 2013. The operator stated two FPSOs, OSX-2 and OSX-3, are about 30 percent complete and construction is continuing at a Singapore shipyard. N. America – US GOM McMoRan Updates Flow Testing Ops at Davy Jones Well Mar 29, 2012 – McMoRan is continuing to flow test the Davy Jones No. 1 well on Block 230 at South Marsh Island. As previously reported, McMoRan saw positive pressure response from the Wilcox “D” sand which was perforated on March 24, 2012. On March 26, 2012, the operator attempted to perforate the Wilcox “C” sand. As the perforating gun was being removed from the hole, the well began to flow. When the gun was brought to the surface, it was determined that the gun did not fire in the Wilcox “C” sand from what appears to be a simple disconnection of the detonator cord. The company plans to use a new perforating gun to complete the testing of the Wilcox “C” sand. Currently, the test is ongoing from only the Wilcox “D” sand, which resulted in the flare shown in the exhibit attached. The flow from the “D” sand is being affected by considerable debris in the 5-inch liner, from what McMoRan believes to be residual drilling fluid from drilling of the well. Results of a clean flow test, as opposed to the current test hampered by debris, will be announced as further progress is achieved and flow rates are measurable. McMoRan will provide updates as completion operations progress. Project Details: Davy Jones Africa – West Total Acquires 3D Data Offshore Cote d’Ivoire Mar 26, 2012 – Total has commenced exploration work on its CI-100 license offshore Cote d’Ivoire. The company acquired 247,105 acres (1,000 square kilometers) of 3D seismic data at the end of 2011, which completed the 3D coverage of the entire block. Initial exploratory drilling is planned for the end of 2011. Spanning more than 494,211 acres (2,000 square kilometers), the CI-100 block is located about 62 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Abidjan in water depths ranging from 4,921 to 10,171 feet (1,500 to 3,100 meters). Total Moves Forward with CLOV Development Mar 26, 2012 – Total reported that the CLOV development is progressing as planned with start-up slated for 2014. The CLOV project is located on Block 17 offshore Angola. Total’s Angolan subsidiary, Total E&P Angola, is the operator of Angolan Block 17 with a 40 percent interest. Partners in the license include Statoil with a 23.33 percent interest, Esso Exploration Angola with a 20 percent interest and BP Exploration Angola with a 16.67 percent interest. Project Details: CLOV Total to Further Develop Moho-Bilondo Project Mar 26, 2012 – Total reported that the drilling of two appraisal wells, Bilondo Marine 2 and 3, drilled at year-end 2010 in the southern portion of the Moho Bilondo field confirmed an additional growth potential as an extension of existing facilities. Studies are underway for the development of these additional reserves. The development of these resources in the northern portion of the field, the potential of which was bolstered by appraisal and exploration wells drilled in 2008 and 2009, is also being examined (Moho North project). The field is currently producing nearly 90,000 bopd from 13 subsea wells tied into a floating production unit. The oil is exported to the onshore Djeno terminal. Total operates the license, holding a 53.5 percent interest; Chevron holds 31.5 percent; and Societe Nationale des Petroles du Congo holds 15 percent. Project Details: Moho-Bilondo African Petroleum Contracts Rig for Two-Well Program Mar 23, 2012 – African Petroleum reported that the Narina-1 well reached a total depth of 15,912 feet (4,850 meters) in a water depth of 3,750 feet (1,143 meters). The well encountered a total of 105 feet (32 meters) net oil pay in two different reservoirs including a Turonian submarine fan and an Albian zone. The prospective size of the Turonian reservoir is 61,776 acres (250 square kilometers) based on 3D seismic interpretation but will need to be confirmed through an upcoming appraisal drilling campaign. The operator has secured the Eirik Raude (UDW semisub) for a two-well program with the option for a third well. Drilling is expected to commence in the second half of 2012. Project Details: Narina

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