Exploration Development 2005 P

10/27/2005 -- ANWR leasing advances in House, Senate
Both sides of the 109th Congress have moved closer to authorizing federal oil and natural gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as part of the budget reconciliation package on Oct. 26.
10/26/2005 -- Indonesia gas find noncommercial but promising
A gas discovery in the North Sumatra basin waters of the Malacca Straits is described as noncommercial but encouraging for further exploration.
10/26/2005 -- North German tight sands test at promising rates
Two European companies are installing surface facilities after a highly deviated well yielded promising gas flow rates from extremely low-permeability Permian Rotliegend sandstone in the North German basin.
10/26/2005 -- EnCana extends Chinook discovery off Brazil
Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corp. reported another successful appraisal of a Campos basin oil discovery on Block BM-C-7 in 350 ft of water 75 km off Brazil.
10/26/2005 -- Verkhnechonsky field development starts
The first well has been drilled in Russia's Verkhnechonsky oil and gas field by Prikaspiiskburneft Co. as part of a 3-year, $270 million development project undertaken by VerkhnechonskNefteGaz.
10/25/2005 -- Gas-focused Brazilian licensing round sets records
A record number of companies—144, compared with 42 last year—were qualified to participate in Brazil's seventh oil and gas licensing round Oct. 17-19, which generated more than $529.6 million for Brazil and is being called the country's most successful auction.
10/24/2005 -- Thailand licensing round draws more bids
Thailand's energy ministry has received two additional applications for petroleum exploration blocks, raising the total number of applicants in the country's current licensing round to 11 groups and increasing the number of tracts sought to 13 (OGJ Online, Aug 22, 2005).
10/21/2005 -- Deepwater Angola block has ninth oil strike
Angola's Sonangol and BP PLC reported the ninth oil discovery on deepwater Block 31 off Angola.
10/20/2005 -- Equatorial Guinea gets Douala basin strike
Noble Energy Inc., Houston, gauged Equatorial Guinea's first hydrocarbon discovery in the Douala basin.
10/20/2005 -- Seismic survey due off Western Australia
Karoon Gas Australia Ltd. has let contract to PGS Exploration Ltd. for an 840 sq km 3D survey by the Ramform Victory seismic vessel on its adjoining Browse Basin permits WA-314-P and 315-P off Western Australia (OGJ, Oct. 17, 2005, p. 34).
10/20/2005 -- Record-length wells eyed in Alaskan Beaufort
BP PLC is studying feasibility of developing its Liberty oil discovery in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska with extended-reach wells of possibly record lengths.
10/20/2005 -- Pioneer makes deepwater Gulf of Mexico find
Pioneer Natural Resources Co., Dallas, reported a discovery on the Clipper prospect on Green Canyon Block 299 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
10/19/2005 -- TARC to explore South China Sea blocks
China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) has signed a production-sharing contract (PSC) for Block 03/27 and a geophysical agreement for Block 28/20, both in the Pearl River Mouth basin, with privately held Texas American Resources Co. (TARC), Austin.
10/19/2005 -- Shell starts seismic survey in Libya
Shell Exploration & Production GMBH began a land seismic survey in the coastal Sirte basin near Marsa Al-Brega and hopes to start exploratory drilling in late 2006-early 2007.
10/18/2005 -- Pearl to drill in Jasmine area off Thailand
Pearl Energy Ltd. of Singapore has let contract to ENSCO Oceanics Co. for use of the ENSCO 107 jack up in a 60-day exploration program scheduled to start in March 2006 on Block B 5/27 in the Gulf of Thailand.
10/18/2005 -- Lukoil, PDVSA to study Orinoco belt block
Lukoil Overseas Holding Ltd. and the investment division of state-owned Petrόleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) have signed a 3-year agreement to research a section of the Junin Block (formerly Zuata) in the Orinoco oil belt in Anzoategui, eastern Venezuela.
10/18/2005 -- Devon group plans 1,250 wells in Wyoming
Devon Energy Corp., Oklahoma City, on behalf of itself and seven other companies, has applied to the US Bureau of Land Management for approval to continue development drilling in the Creston Blue Gap II Project Area (CBGIIPA) in Carbon and Sweetwater counties of South-Central Wyoming.
10/17/2005 -- Mali's Taoudeni basin due airborne surveys
Baraka Petroleum Ltd., Perth, let a contract for $3.7 million in airborne exploration surveys on five blocks in the nonproducing Taoudeni basin in northern Mali.
10/17/2005 -- Series of wells possible in Paraguay
CDS Oil & Gas Group PLC, London, is preparing to spud the first of what could be a series of exploration wells in nonproducing Paraguay.
10/14/2005 -- Exploration tax breaks urged in Australia
Australian Minister for Industry, Tourism, and Resources Ian Macfarlane is pressing for a new set of petroleum exploration tax breaks to be incorporated in the government's federal budget in May 2006.

Home

General Interest

Exploration & Development

Drilling & Production

Processing

Transportation

Home

2005

Exploration Development 2005 P