US Crude Ltd., Redlands, Calif., formed a joint venture with Southwest Oil Production and State Energy & Development to begin a pilot crude recovery program in Kern County, Calif., US Crude reported Tuesday. US Crude will use its steam generator technology to harvest a greater amount of oil from the Edison field. Southwest Oil is funding production of US Crude's TM-96 Portable Steam Generator, currently under construction for the venture. A similar program will be undertaken on the Kern Bluff and Midway Sunset oil fields.
Rowan Cos. Inc. has decided to move its Rowan Gorilla III jack up rig to the Gulf of Mexico after it completes its drilling program for PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. off Nova Scotia. The rig will have its legs extended to 504 ft from 343 ft at Sabine Pass, Tex. It should begin new contracts in January. The Rowan Gorilla V will remain off eastern Canada working for Sable Offshore Energy Inc. after its release by PanCanadian, which will occur next month. The new contract is for 4-7 months.
Akita/Equtak Drilling Ltd.�a 50:50 joint venture of Akita Drilling Ltd., a contract drilling firm based in Calgary, and Inuvialuit Development Corp., a company owned by the indigenous group Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic�will construct three 5,000 m-capacity rigs for use in Canada's Arctic. Akita said its portion of the project will cost it $36 million. The rigs could be available for use by the second half of 2001.