Calmer political waters should help turn the country into a global exploration hotspot The small Latin American nation of Suriname is poised for profound change. Revenues from major offshore oil discoveries announced this year could transform the country’s long-term economic prospects. And, following the resolution of an election deadlock, a new coalition government has finally... Continue Reading →
Exxon Hires Noble Corp. Drillship on 6-month Term in Guyana
Offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation has won a six-month contract for its Noble Sam Croft drillship with ExxonMobil in Guyana. Noble shared the news as part of its 2Q results presentation in which it posted a loss of $42 million. The drilling company, which last week filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, said Wednesday ExxonMobil had awarded... Continue Reading →
Suriname’s Staatsolie Eyes Stake in Apache’s Prolific Offshore Block
Suriname's state-owned oil company Staatsolie is considering farming into an offshore oil block where Apache Corp and France's Total SA have announced a third major discovery, an executive said on Sunday. Staatsolie has the right to a stake of up to 20% in the 1.4 million-acre Block 58, where Apache and Total last week announced... Continue Reading →
Apache, Total Make Major Oil Find Offshore Suriname
Apache Corp and its joint venture partner Total on Wednesday said they had made their third oil discovery offshore Suriname. The "major oil discovery" was made at the Kwaskwasi-1 well drilled by the Noble Sam Croft in Block 58, where Apache is operator and holds 50% working interest and Total holds the other 50%. Continue... Continue Reading →
ExxonMobil Finds More ‘High-quality’ Reservoirs Off Guyana, Hess Says
The U.S. oil major ExxonMobil has recently discovered two more high-quality oil reservoirs offshore Guyana, Hess, the company's partner in the prolific Stabroek block said Wednesday. To remind, back in January, ExxonMobil said it had struck its 16th oil discovery in the offshore block in Guyana, boosting recoverable resource base in Guyana to more than... Continue Reading →
Tullow to Spud Suriname Well in 2021. Will Contract Drilling Rig Soon
London-listed oil and gas exploration and production firm Tullow Oil expects to hire an offshore drilling rig soon for drilling operation in Suriname. The company said Monday that the drilling of the Goliathberg-Voltzberg North prospect (GVN-1) in the offshore Block 47 is now planned for the first quarter of 2021. Continue reading
Guyana’s deadlock chills the investment climate
A worsening political crisis risks slowing the pace of oil sector growth in the small Latin American nation Any hope that Guyana’s recent election would settle the country’s broiling political turmoil always looked optimistic. And so it has proved. Four months on from the poll, neither of the two main parties has conceded defeat and the impasse threatens... Continue Reading →
Contract cancellation, extensions, and warm-stack mode for Noble rigs
Offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation has received several new contract extensions for its drilling rigs and cancellation of a drilling contract in Vietnam. Noble has also decided to warm-stack some of its rigs. According to Noble’s latest fleet status report, published on Thursday, 9 July, the Noble Mick O’Brien jack-up has been awarded a contract extension from... Continue Reading →
Total Wins Woodmac’s ‘Most Admired Explorer’ Award
French major Total has been named the upstream industry’s most-admired explorer, an accolade awarded in conjunction with Wood Mackenzie’s annual Exploration Survey. Dr. Andrew Latham, Vice President, Global Exploration Research, at Wood Mackenzie, said: “For the past 12 years, Wood Mackenzie has named the industry’s Most-Admired Explorer after collating the results of our industry-leading annual... Continue Reading →
Petronas Hires Maersk Developer Rig for Suriname Drilling
Malaysian oil company Petronas has hired Maersk Drilling's semi-submersible drilling rig Maersk Developer to drill in Suriname. The contract is for ar a one-well exploration campaign in Block 52 offshore Suriname. Maersk Drilling said Tuesday the contract was expected to start in Q3/Q4 2020, with an estimated duration of 75 days. Continue reading