The Indian government plans a third round of licensing for oil and gas exploration by the end of this year. It will offer 25 blocks, the same number awarded in the second round (OGJ Online, Jan. 29). Petroleum Minister Ram Naik said India would move to an open acreage system once seismic data had been gathered.
Shell Exploration & Production Co. has awarded a division of Halliburton Co.'s Energy Services Group a contract as part of the tie-back development of the Oregano and Serrano fields in the Gulf of Mexico to the Auger tension leg platform. Wellstream will supply 5.125-in., 10,000 psi jumpers to connect a rigid riser system to topside piping on the Auger TLP on Garden Banks Block 426. The jumpers will be manufactured and delivered in May. It is part of an overall development solution that includes pipe-in-pipe catenary risers (OGJ Online, Oct. 16, 2000).
Norske Conoco AS, the Norwegian arm of Conoco Inc., said exploration well 6507/7-13 near Heidrun field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea found oil. An evaluation program included drilling a sidetrack to obtain core samples. The well was drilled to 8,530 ft and was not drillstem tested. Heidrun platform is 5 miles south of the wildcat. Partners in exploration license 095 are operator Norske Conoco with 20%; Statoil, with 75%; and Fortum Petroleum AS, 5%.
Partners in Ceiba field, on Block G in the Rio Muni basin off Equatorial Guinea, said production averaged 36,000 b/d of oil from three wells in January. A fourth Ceiba development well, Ceiba-1, was just connected to the floating production, storage, and offloading vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, bringing field production to 50,000 b/d. Operator Triton Energy Ltd. has spudded F-1 well on adjacent block F.
Allseas Marine Contractors SA has awarded Halliburton Subsea, a unit of Halliburton Co., a frame agreement for remotely operated vehicle and survey deepwater pipelay support services in the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea. Work will begin later this year with the BP Magnus enhanced oil recovery project, which will link the West of Shetland Schiehallion field to Magnus via the Shetland Islands.
Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd. made a discovery in Kohat district in the Pakistani North West Frontier province. Chanda Deep No. 1 was drilled to 5,100 m and produced 900 b/d of 36� oil and 1,150 b/d of 38� oil respectively from two zones. The company is producing about 1,200 b/d and 5.19 MMcfd of natural gas from another well in the same petroleum concession area, according to Pakistan Petroleum Ministry officials.
