| S. America – Venezuela |
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| Repsol Begins Developing Perla Field |
| Feb 2, 2012 – Repsol has drilled five gas wells and plans to place each in production using offshore platforms and underwater connections, which will carry the gas onshore. The gas will be processed and sent through the Venezuelan distribution network. Repsol will develop the project in phases, with the first phase entailing an estimated investment of $1.5 billion, including the exploration and evaluation phase in which 300 MMcf/d of gas is expected to be produced. In the next two phases, production is set to rise fourfold to 1.2 Bcf/d, which will be maintained until the end of the contract in 2036. |
| Project Details: Perla |
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| S. America – Other & Carib. |
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| Borders & Southern Spuds Darwin East |
| Feb 1, 2012 – Borders & Southern Petroleum have spud exploratory well 61/17-1, which is designed to test the Darwin East prospect off the Falkland Islands. The prospect is a fault/dip closed structure with lower Cretaceous sandstone, reservoir target. Additionally, the exploration well will investigate geophysical attributes that include a flat spot, amplitude conformance to structure and an AVO (amplitude versus offset) anomaly. The Leiv Eiriksson (UDW semisub) is drilling the well and should take roughly 45 days to complete. Darwin East is located in the South Falklands Basin in the South Atlantic, about 87 miles (140 kilometers) south of the Falkland Islands. |
| Project Details: Darwin East |
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| Bayfield Spuds Trinidad Well |
| Jan 27, 2012 – Bayfield Energy expects to spud the first well in its drilling campaign in its Galeota license offshore Trinidad. The operator is using the Rowan Gorilla (450′ ILC) jackup to drill the exploratory well EG8. The well lies in 135 feet (41 meters) of water and will be drilled to a total depth of 8,700 feet (2,652 meters). EG8 is a deviated exploration well intended to appraise the Lower Pliocene-to-Upper Miocene stacked, shallow marine sandstone reservoirs that were encountered in previous offset wells. Both of these earlier wells – EG2 and EG5, which were drilled in 1978 and 1985 respectively – encountered and tested gas at various levels and EG2 tested oil at a rate of 1,000 barrels of oil per day, reported Rigzone. The Galeota block spans 30,147 acres (122 square kilometers) in the shallow waters of the prolific hydrocarbon-rich Columbus Basin off the southeast coast of Trinidad. Bayfield operates the block with a 65 percent interest; while partner, Petrotin, holds the remaining stake. |
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| Europe – North Sea |
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| Subsea 7 Awarded Work for BP’s Clair Ridge Project |
 Feb 2, 2012 – BP granted Subsea 7 a contract for the Clair Ridge Project, west of Shetland. The Clair Ridge development will comprise two new bridge-linked platforms to be located in the northeast of Clair Phase 1. The contract scope includes the project management, engineering, procurement, fabrication and installation of a 3-mile-long (6 kilometer-long), 22-inch-diameter oil export pipeline and a 9-mile-long (14-kilometer-long), 6-inch-diameter gas export pipeline connected to the new production facilities and existing Clair Phase 1 export systems. The pipeline systems will allow production to be transported from Clair Ridge to Sullom Voe Terminal (SVT) via a dedicated gas export pipeline spur tied into the Clair Phase 1 pipeline. The associated gas will tie into the West of Shetland Pipeline System via the gas export pipeline. The scope also includes tie-ins of integrated subsea towhead structures, field testing and pre-commissioning activities. Offshore operations are due to commence in 2013. |
| Project Details: Clair |
|
| Total Launches Hild Development |
 Feb 2, 2012 – Total is launching the development of the Hild field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The development, projected to cost $4.2 billion, is subject to the approval of the Norwegain Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and Norwegian Parliament. The partners submitted the PDO for approval on Jan. 25, 2012. Hild’s reserves amount to approximately 190 million boe. Production is expected to start in 2016 and will reach 100,000 boepd at peak. |
| Project Details: Hild |
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| Nautical Farms-In to UK License Containing Hydra Prospect |
| Feb 2, 2012 – Nautical Petroleum has entered into an agreement with First Oil to acquire a 25 percent interest in UK License P1756, which contains the Hydra prospect. The license commitment calls for the acquisition of 155 miles (250 kilometers) of 2D and 24,711 acres (100 square kilometers) of 3D seismic plus a well to be drilled at the discretion of the participants. First Oil will continue to operate the license with a 75 percent interest. |
| Project Details: Hydra |
|
| Wintershall Spuds Maria Appraisal Well |
| Feb 2, 2012 – Wintershall has spudded the Maria appraisal well in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The operator is using the Borgland Dolphin (mid-water semisub) to drill well 6407/1-5S in PL 475BS. The main objective of the well is to prove oil in the northern part of the structure and to perform extensive data acquisition. “The results will help the Maria partnership to decide on the optimum development concept for Maria – either a subsea tieback or a standalone development,” said Maria Project Manager Hugo Dijkgraaf. |
| Project Details: Maria |
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| Statoil Spins Bit at King Lear |
| Jan 31, 2012 – Statoil has spud the King Lear prospect in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The well should take about 166 days to reach total depth, and an additional 51 days if Statoil elects to sidetrack the well. The operator is using the Maersk Gallant (350′ ILC) jackup for the drilling operations. |
| Project Details: King Lear |
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| Total Gets Consent to Drill in PL 102 C |
| Jan 30, 2012 – Total has been granted consent for use of the Borgland Dolphin (mid-water semisub) for drilling and completion of a production well in Production License 102 C. The operator will drill well 25/5-D-1-H as a sidetrack, which lies in a water depth of 390 feet (119 meters). Drilling is expected to start in February. |
| Project Details: Atla (David) |
|
| BP Shuts-in Production at Foinaven |
 Jan 30, 2012 – BP has halted production at its Foinaven field after a hairline crack was discovered in an underwater connecting pipeline. Production was immediately shut down and the leak was stopped, said the company. The field, which produces around 43,000 bopd, remains shut-in, and the company is unsure when production will resume. Foinaven was the UK’s first deepwater field and came online in mid-2000. |
| Project Details: Foinaven |
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| Statoil Selects Spar Concept for Luva Development |
 Jan 30, 2012 – Statoil has selected a spar platform to develop the Luva field. Considered a deepwater pioneer in the Norwegian Sea, the Luva field may be the first to have a spar platform on the NCS. “This development may represent the start of deepwater production in the Norwegian Sea, and it will enable the tie-in of other discoveries in the same area,” said Ivar Aasheim, Statoil’s senior vice president for NCS field development. The spar platform will consist of a large-diameter, single vertical cylinder supporting a conventional deck with processing facility, accommodation quarters and other facilities. The installation will fix to the seabed. The development concept will include two subsea templates with four wells on each and one satellite template with one well. The platform will house accommodation quarters for a permanent crew, a storage unit for condensate, and a gas processing facility with a capacity of 812 MMcf/d. Gas will be exported through a 300-mile-long (483-kilometer-long), 30-36 inch diameter pipeline from the Luva field to the onshore processing facility at Nyhamna. The pipeline will also connect to the Linnorm field and tied-in to the Zidane field. |
| Project Details: Luva |
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| Det norske Spuds Storebjorn Prospect |
| Jan 30, 2012 – Det norske has commenced exploratory drilling at Storebjorn in Production License 450. Well 7/12-13 S is the first well in the license, which was awarded in the 2007 APA licensing round. The Storebjorn prospect is located in the southern North Sea, in close proximity to existing infrastructure on the Ula and Gyda fields. The operator is using the jackup Maersk Guardian (350′ ILC) to drill the well. |
| Project Details: Storebjorn |
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| N. America – US Alaska |
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| Pioneer Divests Interest in Cosmopolitan Project |
| Feb 2, 2012 – Buccaneer Energy Limited has executed a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the acquisition of two main productive leases in the former Cosmopolitan Unit from Pioneer Natural Resources. The acquisition is being jointly made with BlueCrest Energy II. Buccaneer will acquire a 25% working interest and BlueCrest a 75% working interest with Buccaneer assuming operatorship of the project. Buccaneer plans to commence preliminary development planning on the Cosmopolitan project offshore Alaska. The operator plans to drill an offshore well using the Endeavour, Spirit of Independence (300′ ILC) jackup in late 2012 to further quantify both the oil and gas zones of the project. Development of the Cosmo project will begin in the northern hemisphere during the winter of 2012 and continue through to 2014. The preliminary development plan includes drilling oil wells from the existing onshore production site and drilling offshore water injection wells for reservoir pressure maintenance. Separately, offshore gas wells will be drilled and tied-back to the existing onshore site, which will be connected to ENSTAR’s recently completed gas transportation line. |
| Project Details: Cosmopolitan |
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| N. America – US GOM |
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| ATP Completes MC 942 No. 2 Well at Thunder Horse |
 Feb 2, 2012 – ATP has completed drilling of the Mississippi Canyon Block 942 No. 2 well to a measured depth of 21,400 feet (6,523 meters). As previously reported, three productive sands have been logged with a total of 239 feet (73 meters) of pay. ATP has set 7-5/8 inch casing across the B and C Sands and a 5-1/2 inch liner through the S Sand. The S Sand, at a depth of 21,010 to 21,090 feet (6,404 to 6,428 meters), has been perforated and completed. After completion of the next regularly scheduled BOP test, ATP will move to the completion of the C Sand which will be perforated at a depth of 17,560 to 17,730 feet (5,352 to 5,404 meters). As soon as the C Sand is completed, ATP will begin completing the B Sand which will be perforated at a depth of 17,410 to 17,480 feet (5,307 to 5,328 meters). An additional BOP test will be required before the completion of the B Sand. ATP estimates first production immediately upon completing these activities, scheduled for the first quarter 2012. Plans are to begin production in the S Sand. ATP intends to comingle the B and C Sands with the S Sand when the pressure equalizes between the three sands. |
| Project Details: Thunder Horse |
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| Anadarko Spuds Spartacus |
| Jan 31, 2012 – Anadarko has spud the Spartacus prospect in 7,008 feet (2,136 meters) of water in the GOM. The operator is drilling the well using ENSCO 8500 (UDW semisub). Drilling should take roughly 60 days. |
| Project Details: Spartacus |
|
| Asia – SouthEast |
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| Santos Commences Gas Production at Wortel |
 Feb 1, 2012 – Santos has commenced gas production at the Wortel field offshore Indonesia. The project includes two gas wells, a minimum facility wellhead platform and a 6-mile (10-kilometer) gas pipeline to the existing Oyong wellhead platform. Wortel???s gas production will then flow through the existing 37-mile (60-kilometer) pipeline to the onshore gas processing facility at Grati for processing and onward sale. Gross production rates from the combined Oyong and Wortel fields are expected to be about 90 MMcm/d. |
| Project Details: Oyong Project |
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| Hess Comes Up Dry in Andalan |
| Jan 31, 2012 – Hess completed two of its three commitment wells on the Semai V Block offshore Indonesia, reported Rigzone’s RigLogix Database. Wells Andalan 1 and 2 were both dry. Andalan 1 encountered hydrocarbons and although non-commercial, it helps with understanding the basin, Hess said from a geological perspective. |
| Project Details: Andalan |
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| AWE Prepping to Spud Atlas-1 |
| Jan 31, 2012 – AWE Limited said planning for drilling the Atlas-1 well in the Titan PSC is accelerating following the execution of the drilling contract in November 2011. Site surveys are completed and based on the current rig schedule, the well is expected to commence drilling in April 2012. |
| Project Details: Atlas |
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| PPP Reviewing CRD Development Plans |
| Jan 27, 2012 – Pan Pacific Petroleum is continuing to assess the potential of a commercial development of the CRD oil and gas/condensate discovery offshore Vietnam. The operator is deciding whether to further appraise the area or commence development plans. A decision is expected around the end of 1Q 2012, stated the company. In addition to the CRD discovery, Block 07/03 also contains several large undrilled exploration prospects which will be matured with the aim of establishing an exploration drilling program, subject to the approval of JV participants. The Ca Rong Do field is located on Block 07/03 in the prospective Nam Con Son Basin offshore Vietnam. |
| Project Details: Ca Rong Do (CRD) |
|
| Mediterranean |
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| Mediterranean O&G Increases Guendalina’s Gas Reserves |
 Feb 1, 2012 – Mediterranean Oil & Gas has revised the 2P recoverable reserves of the Guendalina field after conducting an independent review of gas reserves. The study was performed by RPS Energy, following the start of gas production in 4Q 2012 at the field. RPS’s CPR shows revised 2P recoverable reserves of 31.2 billion cubic feet (6.2 Bcf net to Mediterranean Oil & Gas), representing an increase of 42 percent relative to the previous pre-development valuation of 22 Bcf (4.4 Bcf net to MOG). RPS also estimates P3 reserves of 40.3 Bcf (8.1 Bcf net to MOG). The field, located 29 miles offshore the northeast coast of Italy, is producing roughly 21 MMcf/d. |
| Project Details: Guendalina |
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| Tamar Development on Schedule to Commence Production |
 Jan 31, 2012 – Noble Energy reported that the Tamar development project remains on schedule for commissioning in late 2012, the company adds. Fabrication of the platform jacket and deck, and offshore pipeline installation, are 50 percent complete and onshore facility expansion is under way. |
| Project Details: Tamar |
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| S. America – Brazil |
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| New Subsea Guiding Frame Stabilizes Piles in Waimea Field |
 Feb 1, 2012 – The first offshore pile installation operation with the StabFrame, a newly developed subsea pile-stabilizing template, has been successfully completed at the Waimea field in Brazil’s Campos Basin. Jointly developed by Large Diameter Drilling Ltd. (LDD) and MENCK GmbH, the StabFrame stabilizes piles in all depths required for underwater pile driving. The operation was carried out in association with a contract that was awarded to MENCK by Wellstream International Ltd. The contract required MENCK to drive ten 84-inch mooring piles in water depths of up to 459 feet (140 meters) using an MHU 500T hydraulic hammer. The piles were required for installation of an FPSO mooring system on the OGX development of the offshore Waimea field. |
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| OGX Confirms Hydrocarbon Find in Santos Basin, Swaps Rigs |
| Feb 1, 2012 – OGX has confirmed the existence of pre-salt microbiolite reservoirs with hydrocarbons in the shallow waters of the Santos Basin. As previously reported, the 1-OGX-63-SPS well had identified hydrocarbons both in the Aptian and Albian sections. When the well reached the Aptian section, it identified hydrocarbons through a high gas presence that resulted in a ‘kick’, indicating favorable permo-porosity characteristics and high pressure. As operations continued, the ‘kick’ was controlled and the analysis of rock fragments led to the confirmation of a microbiolite reservoir of Aptian age, which is the same type of reservoir rock found in the deep and ultra-deep waters pre-salt of the Santos and Campos Basins. The well has reached a depth of 20,128 feet (6,135 meters) and has thus far discovered a column of about 492 feet (150 meters) in the Aptian section. Due to the high pressures encountered, the drilling was temporarily suspended so that OGX can replace the current rig Ocean Quest (mid-water semisub) with the rig Ocean Star (DW semisub). The Ocean Star has the requisite specifications to continue the operation, which is expected to include logging and possibly conducting at least one drill-stem test. |
| Project Details: Fortaleza |
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| OGX Opens First Well of OSX-1 FPSO |
| Jan 30, 2012 – OGX has initiated the opening procedure of the first producing well of OSX-1 FPSO, denominated OGX-26HP. The beginning of the production procedure initiated through the injection of chemical products into the well for the preliminary treatment of oil and gas, which will be processed by the vessel. |
|
| Australia |
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| Clough Limited Gets Hook-Up, Commissioning Contract for Wheatstone Project |
 Feb 2, 2012 – Clough Limited received a contract for the offshore hook-up and commissioning component of the Chevron-operated Wheatstone project. The services will be provided over a 40-month period commencing immediately. The agreed scope of work includes the provision of labor, materials and an accommodation support vessel to assist Chevron with pre-commissioning, commissioning of integrated float over deck systems, offshore hook-up, and start-up assistance. Project management will be executed from Clough’s head office in Perth, while engineering and technical teams will be deployed to the fabrication yard in Korea and subsequently to the offshore platform located 140 miles (225 kilometers) from the Onslow coast. |
| Project Details: Wheatstone |
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| Woollybutt Production to Cease in 1H12 |
| Feb 1, 2012 – Woollybutt is an oil field in the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. Oil is produced from the field by a Floating Production Storage and Offtake vessel (FPSO), the Four Rainbow. Production at the Woollybutt field will end in April 2012 prior to the May 2012 termination of the FPSO contract. During the quarter, oil production rates at Woollybutt averaged 2,375 bopd gross for the period, with production lower production due to the mid-November shut-in of the Woollybutt-1 well, which was caused by a mechanical production. |
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| Cliff Head Produces at Higher Rates following Field Maintenance |
 Jan 31, 2012 – Gross oil production at the Cliff Head oil field averaged 3,953 bopd for 4Q 2011. AWE said production remains at higher levels following the successful installation of a higher volume pump in the CH-12 well. Further field optimization studies are being undertaken. |
| Project Details: Cliff Head |
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| AWE Updates Ops at Tui |
 Jan 31, 2012 – AWE reported that operational performance on the Tui oil field has performed well with production in line with budget forecasts. Furthermore, in early January 2012, a subsea project was undertaken to complete minor repair and maintenance work on various wellhead components on the producing wells. The field averaged daily gross production of about 5,600 bopd. Tui is located offshore New Zealand in 394 feet (120 meters) of water. |
| Project Details: Tui |
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| GE to Supply Equipment for Ichthys LNG |
 Jan 30, 2012 – GE Oil & Gas will supply rotating equipment, subsea production systems, and connectors for the Ichthys LNG project offshore Australia. GE will provide rotating equipment, including gas turbines and compressors, for a new LNG plant at Blaydin Point, near Darwin, and associated floating production storage and offloading and a central processing facility in the Browse basin. In addition, GE will supply subsea production systems for the offshore portion of the project as well as subsea connectors for the pipeline to Darwin. |
| Project Details: Ichthys |
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| Africa – West |
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| Tullow Commences Phase 1A Development on Jubilee |
 Jan 27, 2012 – Tullow Oil reported that Jubilee’s Phase 1A of development has been approved by the Government of Ghana, and drilling is expected to commence in March 2012. The operator will use the Sedco Energy (DW semisub) to perform the drilling operations. This phase of development consists of drilling eight new wells (five producers and three additional water injectors) and expanding the existing subsea network. It will be conducted over an 18-month period. The total cost of Phase 1A is projected to cost around $1.1 billion. Commencing production in 4Q 2012, Jubilee is flowing at a gross rate of 70,000 bopd. The Jubilee field, located on two licenses, Deepwater Tano and West Cape Three Points, is situated in a water depth of 3,609 feet (1,100 meters). |
| Project Details: Jubilee |
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Continents of the World
Mb50's "Liquid Mud" Rant 