Feb. 25 (oilnow.gy) ExxonMobil Guyana Limited on February 19, 2026 continued exploration drilling at the Goatfish-1 well site in the Stabroek Block, according to a notice issued by the Guyana Maritime Administration Department. The well is being drilled by the MODU Noble Sam Croft and operations are scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2026. The... Continue Reading →
South America and Africa to Lead High-Impact Exploration Well Drilling in 2026 – Westwood
Feb. 23 - Africa and South America are expected to lead high-impact exploratory drilling in 2026, with a forecast of 19 and 15 wells, respectively, according to the consulting firm Westwood Global Energy Group. In Brazil, the highlights are the Tupinambá well, from BP, and the Morpho well, from Petrobras. In total, the company estimates... Continue Reading →
Oil companies jostle for projects to boost Venezuelan output quickly; a real grind awaits
Feb 19 (Reuters) - In September, a rig used to drill wells in shallow waters completed the long trip from China to Venezuela's oil-producing region of Lake Maracaibo. The passage of the big old rig named Alula just inches below the bridge connecting Maracaibo city with the oilfields of the lake's eastern coast stirred excitement... Continue Reading →
Azule Energy Makes Significant Oil Discovery Offshore Angola
Feb. 16 (OE) Azule Energy, jointly owned by Eni and BP, has made an oil discovery at the Algaita-01 exploration well in Block 15/06 offshore Angola, with initial estimates pointing to approximately 500 million barrels of oil in place. The well, located in the offshore Lower Congo Basin, was spudded on January 10, 2026, in... Continue Reading →
Transocean to Acquire Valaris for $5.8B
Feb. 9 (Reuters) Oilfield services firm Transocean said on Monday it will acquire peer Valaris in an all-stock deal valued at $5.8 billion, expanding its exposure across deepwater, harsh-environment and shallow-water basins worldwide. Transocean shares were down 4% at $5.16, while Valaris shares were up 14.6% at $71.61 in premarket trade. Oilfield service providers have... Continue Reading →
Floatel Firms Up Accommodation Rig Contract with Brava Energia off Brazil
Feb. 4 (OE) Offshore accommodation rig provider Floatel International has signed a contract with Brava Energia for its Floatel Victory unit, which will be deployed offshore Brazil. Floatel Victory will provide Maintenance and Safety Unit (MSU) services for Brava Energia. The MSU assignment has a duration of six months, with options to extend the contract.... Continue Reading →
Guyana rigs extended to 2029 as Noble secures US$1.3B in new contracts
Jan. 29 (oilnow.gy) Drilling activity offshore Guyana has been extended through 2029 after ExxonMobil awarded Noble Corporation plc additional rig years under its Commercial Enabling Agreement. The award applies evenly across four drillships operating in Guyana — Noble Sam Croft, Noble Don Taylor, Noble Tom Madden and Noble Bob Douglas — and is part of a broader... Continue Reading →
Transocean announces new contract with BP for drilling operation in Brazil
Jan. 4 - The Transocean Deepwater Mykonos rig has been contracted by BP for a campaign estimated at 302 days. Operations are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026, contributing approximately US$120 million to Transocean's backlog. This amount does not include any additional services or compensation related to the mobilization and demobilization of... Continue Reading →
Petrobras Halts Drilling at the Equatorial Margin After Loss of Drilling Fluid in Rig
Jan. 6 (PN) The first operational challenge for Petrobras in the search for oil on the Equatorial Margin. The oil company halted drilling at the Morpho well, in block FZA-M-059, off the coast of Amapá last Sunday (4). In a note sent today the oil company explained that it interrupted the activity after identifying the... Continue Reading →
Petronas Drills First of Four Wells in Block Offshore Suriname
Dec. 29 (OE) Petronas has completed drilling of the Caiman-1 exploration well in Block 52 offshore Suriname, marking the first well in its four-well 2025–2026 drilling campaign in the block. The Caiman-1 well was spudded on July 21, 2025 and safely plugged and abandoned on December 6, 2025. The well delivered encouraging results and represents... Continue Reading →