Romanian offshore service provider GSP Holding is eyeing expansion in Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer. GSP said Wednesday it was in the process of entering the Nigerian oil & gas market, targeting projects worth over $500 million. The company’s CEO said GSP was in advanced talks with with loc
South Korea’s majors rig builders Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) have teamed up in a Joint Industry Project, looking to cut rig construction costs and project delays. According to Hyundai Heavy Industries, the th
China’s CIMC Raffles has launched the lower hull of the Beacon Atlantic semi-submersible drilling rig. As revealed in CIMC Raffles’ press release on Tuesday, the launching ceremony of Beacon Atlantic’s lower hull was held on Monday, October 12, 2015. The rig of GM4-D design is being built for Norway
Coastal Contracts, a Malaysian provider of offshore services, has informed that its subsidiary Thaumas Marine has filed a notice of arbitration against CIMC Raffles Offshore, and Dynamic Driller, seeking $5.65 million in damages. According to Coastal Contracts, the reasons for the move lie in the fa
Thai oil and gas company PTT Exploration & Production International (PTTEPI) has issued a Letter of Intent aiming to hire the tender barge rig, EDrill-2, from Energy Drilling. The contract will be for a firm term of 18 months with an option period of 30 months. The 100m long rig, built in China in
Maersk Drilling’s semi-submersible drilling rig ‘Maersk Deliverer’ has completed its five-yearly special periodic survey (SPS) yard stay ahead of time. According to Maersk, the yard stay had more than 210 job packages and 584 work orders that needed to be completed within 35 days along keyside. The
Repsol Norge AS is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6306/5-2. The well is dry. The well was drilled about 65 kilometres southwest of the Njord field and 35 kilometres southeast of the 6406/12-3 S and A discoveries (Pil and Bue) in the Norwegian Sea. This is the first explora
Malaysia’s Petronas Carigali has terminated the drilling contract it had with the Russian Eurasia Drilling Company for the Saturn jack-up rig. The driller on Monday said that it had received the letter of early termination of the contract effective October 8. The original contract was expiring on Ja
Vaalco Energy, Inc. on Monday announced a re-sequencing update to its drilling and workover program offshore Gabon in the Etame Marin block. To remind, the company in September, 2015, announcing first production North Tchibala field development well, said it would mobilize the Transocean Constellati
Odfjell Drilling’s 3rd generation semi-submersible, Deepsea Bergen, has finished its yard stay in connection with the 5-year special periodic survey and is now in transit to location where it will resume operations. The company did not provide details as to where the rig is headed, but the Deepsea B
Lundin Norway AS has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) for exploration drilling in the Barents Sea using the Transocean Arctic drilling rig. Lundin Norway AS is the operator for production licence 708 and has received consent to drill exploration well 7130/4-1 in the
Ocean Rig UDW, an ultra-deepwater drilling contractor, might soon be regarded solely as a drillship provider, as the company is considering scrapping its semi-submersible drilling rigs. Namely, in its fleet status report issued on Wednesday, the company said that the outlook for further employment o
The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has found no irregularities after an audit of the Deepsea Bergen drilling rig in respect of structural safety. On September 21 and 22, 2015, the PSA carried out an audit of Odfjell Drilling’s ‘Deepsea Bergen’ while it was at the Aibel Haugesund yard. Accor
Lukoil, Russian largest privately held oil company, is backing away from its exploration project in Sierra Leone. The company is reportedly abandoning Sierra Leone following disappointing exploration results. To remind, in 2011, Lukoil, through its wholly owned subsidiary Lukoil Overseas as the Oper
