Drilling & production

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 25/4-11, a wildcat well in production licence 677.

Two Merlin ERD engineers have received Drilling Engineering Awards from The Society of Petroleum Engineers, recognising their drilling expertise.

Faroe Petroleum has announced the conditional acquisition of a further 13.9935% interest in the Blane Field in the UK North Sea from JX Nippon Exploration and Production (UK) Limited for a total consideration of US$5.25 million.

Saipem and Petrobel have finalised offshore contract variations worth US$900 million for EPCI activities in relation to the 'Optimised Ramp Up' phase of the 'supergiant' Zohr Field Development Project situated in the Mediterranean Sea off the Egyptian coast.

Plug & abandonment (P&A) and well repair specialist HydraWell has appointed Mark Sørheim as its new chief executive officer.

Statoil and its partners have started production on the Byrding field as planned. Recoverable volumes in Byrding are estimated at a good 11 million boe.

SPX FLOW and WTE Wajdi Group have signed a joint venture agreement to establish a mechanical equipment service centre to serve oilfields in Southern Iraq.

Gazpromneft-Noyabrskneftegaz, a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft, has completed the drilling and testing of its first production well at the Zapadno-Chatylkinskoye field.

Interoil Colombia E&P and SLS have announced the testing of the three layers targeted in Vikingo.

Exxon Mobil Corporation has discovered additional oil in the Payara reservoir offshore Guyana.

While active drilling operations continue at the Megiddo-Jezreel #1 well in Israel, Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. has reached a depth of approximately 5345 ft.

Senex has announced a Birkhead oil discovery on the western flank of the South Australian Cooper Basin.

Proserv has been awarded US$4 million of contracts for its well severance, platform and FPSO decommissioning services in the Asia Pacific region.

W&T Offshore has contracted the Enterprise Offshore 264 jackup rig for drilling he ST 224 prospect.

Wavefront Technology Solutions Inc. has been issued a campaign of 15 well stimulations in Kuwait.