Gran Tierra Energy Inc., Calgary, said a horizontal well in the Neuquen basin of Argentina is flowing light oil naturally from the Lower Cretaceous Loma Montosa tight reservoir after a multistage frac job.

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Arcis Seismic Solutions, has begun shooting a 180 sq km 3D multiclient onshore survey at Ille Lake, between Sylvan Lake and Drayton Valley, in the deep basin of Central Alberta, Canada.

The US Geological Survey has let a contract to Bell Geospace to assist in a comprehensive, high-resolution airborne survey to assess minerals and water potential in northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota.

Petromanas Energy Inc., Calgary, will plug its Juban-1 wildcat in northern Albania at a total depth of 1,716 m after a logging program indicated negligible hydrocarbons.

Miller Energy Resources Inc., Huntsville, Tenn., said its first horizontal well in the Mississippian Fort Pay lime formation in Tennessee exposed 2,300 ft of pay section.

Gran Tierra Energy Inc., Calgary, plans to spud the Bretana Norte 95-2-1XD exploratory well on Block 95 in Peru’s Maranon basin this month.

Eni SPA has added an interest in 7,500 sq km ultradeepwater Block G as a third block in its holdings in the Indus basin offshore Pakistan.

Sirocco Energy Ltd., Perth, formerly Agri Energy Ltd., is attempting to raise funds for its share of the cost to explore the remote 100,000 sq km Block 14 in northwestern Sudan.

Niko Resources Ltd., Calgary, has spudded the Ajek-1 exploratory well in the Kofiau block in the Salawati area of West Papua, Indonesia. Drilling time is 40-45 days to 5,900 ft.

Ophir Energy PLC has taken a farmout on the Offshore Accra Contract Area offshore Ghana and will operate the Starfish-1 deepwater exploratory well recommended for drilling in 2013.

GeoPark Holdings Ltd. will drill two to three more wells in 2013 in Konawentru oil field on its 100% owned Fell block in the Magallanes basin in southern Chile.

Sterling Resources Ltd., Calgary, has spudded the fourth well at Breagh field in the UK North Sea after test results from the first three wells fell within the range of expected outcomes from the reservoir simulation model.

East West Petroleum Ltd. and TAG Oil Ltd. have formed a joint venture to drill four wells on three petroleum exploration permits in New Zealand’s Taranaki basin.

Maersk Oil Norway AS has spudded an exploratory well on the Albert prospect in PL 513 in the Haltenbanken area of the Norwegian Sea offshore Norway.