Rosneft and ExxonMobil Corp. selected Vostochniy Offshore Structures Construction Yard (Vostco Yard) to conduct a concept evaluation and feasibility study for a platform designed for arctic drilling in shallow waters of the Kara Sea under their upstream partnership.

The US rig count fell by 4 units during the week ended Aug. 31. The total number of rotary rigs in the US reached 1,894 this week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 1,968 rigs during the comparable week last year.

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement approved certain limited activities in nonoil-bearing zones by Shell Offshore Co. in the Chukchi Sea offshore Alaska.

Loyz Energy Ltd. of Singapore and technical partner Rex Oil & Gas Ltd. have agreed to participate in the drilling of 80 wells in Colorado and North Dakota on acreage held by Fram Exploration, Trondheim, Norway.

Queiroz Galvao Oleo e Gas reported the arrival in Brazil of the Amaralina Star ultradeepwater drillship, which is chartered to Petroleo Brasileiro SA under a 6-year contract with options to renew for 6 years.

The US rig count fell by 16 units during the week ended Aug. 24. The total number of rotary rigs in the US reached 1,898 this week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 1,975 rigs during the comparable week last year.

Sterling Resources Ltd., Calgary, will resume exploratory drilling in the Black Sea offshore Romania in September 2012 and is encouraged by the Romanian government’s enacting of natural gas liberalization policies.

Statoil ASA and Petoro ASA will further develop Gullfaks South field in the North Sea offshore Norway to hike recovery by 65 million bbl of oil equivalent.

The Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission has issued final approvals for Miller Energy Resources Inc., Knoxville, Tenn., to operate on the Osprey platform in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, where it will rework five formerly producing oil wells.

The US rig count fell by 17 units during the week ended Aug. 17. The total number of rotary rigs in the US reached 1,914 this week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 1,974 during the comparable week last year.

India’s Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. has discovered the third largest reservoir in Mumbai High at a development well that found a new pool in D1 field offshore western India.

The US rig count inched up by 1 unit during the week ended Aug. 10. The total number of rotary rigs in the US reached 1,931 this week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 1,959 during the comparable week last year.