The Tuscaloosa Marine shale, located along the Gulf Coast in both Louisiana and Mississippi, is underexplored. "We're in the midst of trying to develop the commercial potential of the Tuscaloosa Marine shale resource," said Doug Hock, spokesman for Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. "Our focus is on reducing well costs."

Oil production from 14 of the most active counties in the South Texas Eagle Ford shale reached 28 MMbbl in the last year. Gas production doubled from the previous year to 271 bcf, and for the same period, condensate tripled to 21 MMbbl, according to a March report from the Eagle Ford Task Force, which was established by the Texas Railroad Commission.

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Unconventional Oil & Gas Report, a publication of local news from many places.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. selected Shell as its partner to develop sour gas reservoirs in giant Bab gas-condensate field 150 km southwest of the city of Abu Dhabi to supply the local market.

The number of US unconventional oil and natural gas wells drilled in 2011 totaled 10,173 with an expenditure of $65.5 billion, estimated API’s 2011 Joint Association Survey on Drilling Costs report.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has order BP PLC  to review its managements systems, and PSA gave BP until September for the review regarding a September 2012 leak at Ula oil field off Norway  in the North Sea.

Production of mined diluted bitumen has begun from the first of three trains at Imperial Oil Ltd.’s Kearl oil sands project 75 km northeast of Fort McMurray, Alta. (OGJ Online, Feb. 4, 2013).

The US drilling rig count fell by 4 units during the week ended Apr. 26 to a total of 1,754 rotary rigs working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Gazprom plans to start production from two oil and gas fields offshore Russia this year: Prirazlomnoye in the Pichora Sea and Kirinskoye in the Sea of Okhotsk.

Cenovus Energy Inc., Calgary, reported a 15% increase in its western Canadian oil production in the quarter ended Mar. 31 on strong performance by its Christina Lake oil sands project.

MEG Energy, Calgary, has achieved a steam-oil ratio of 1:3, which it calls “industry-leading,” in a pilot project at its Christina Lake thermal oil sands project in Alberta.

Cairn India Ltd. plans to drill more than 450 wells over the next 3 years on its Barmer basin block in Rajasthan, India, where it is producing from five oil fields and recently revived exploration.

The Alberta government has awarded royalty allowances worth a total of $33 million to five pilot projects designed to improve recovery rates and lower environmental effects of oil sands and conventional oil and gas production.

Sunshine Oilsands Ltd., Calgary, expects to begin steam injection in the first phase of its West Ells thermal oil sands project in the late third quarter or fourth quarter, slightly later than originally scheduled.