Exploration

Output from the US state of North Dakota has hit a new record high and the region looks set to become the next major US energy hub.

Employees at Baker Hughes’ Norwegian unit have gone on strike, hindering drilling and maintenance, but not production.

Tullow Oil has had success with its’ Paon-1X exploration well in the CI-103 licence offshore Côte d'Ivoire, which has intersected good quality light oil in a Turonian fan system.

A report by APPEA has concluded that even thought here is still uncertainty in the industry, the potential rewards to Australia if the gas industry continues to grow are enormous.

A new IEA energy report has predicted that natural gas use will see huge growth over the coming years buoyed up by demand in China and Asia, even though European demand is likely to decrease.

The second day of the fourth Iraqi licensing round has been met with a lukewarm response as only two more blocks have been awarded. The winners of the two new blocks are a group led by Lukoil and Pakistan Petroleum.

The Danish government has stuck to its forecast of an 8% decline in oil production for 2012.

Spanish company Repsol’s imminent departure from operations in Cuba is, according to analysts, a potentially “irrecoverable” blow to the communist Caribbean island’s dreams of oil riches.

Spanish company Repsol has announced that it is to abandon operations offshore Cuba after a test well came up dry.

A group led by Kuwait Energy has won Block 9 in Iraq’s latest oil and gas bidding round. Tougher contracts could be scaring off investors.

Eni has made a significant oil discovery at the Emry Deep exploration prospect, located in the Meleiha Concession, in the Western Desert of Egypt, 290 km south west of Alexandria.

Royal Dutch Shell has revealed that it plans to call a halt on its oil exploration projects in the North African country of Libya. The company has blamed “disappointing results” which mean, “exploration cannot be economically justified.” BP has finally withdrawn its claims of force majeure, plans to enter talks with NOC.

Salamander has drilled a successful appraisal well to test the Tutung gas condensate discovery offshore Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Mikhail Fridman, CEO of TNK-BP has resigned for “personal reasons.”

As hundreds of dead dolphins and thousands of dead seabirds wash up on Peru’s coastline, official investigations claim “natural causes” whilst independents and environmentalist groups target the offshore oil and gas industry’s seismic operations.