A group led by Pearl Oil (Amata) Ltd. has spudded the Kinnaree-1 exploratory well on the G1/48 concession in the Kra basin in the northern Gulf of Thailand offshore Thailand.

Tullow Oil PLC said its Twiga South-1 exploratory well on Block 13T in northwestern Kenya has encountered oil.

Petrolia, Rimouski, Que., said it has installed tubing and will conduct a sustained production test of an open hole interval at 1,832-2,746 m in the Bourque-1 well in Quebec to see if it can obtain commercial oil flows.

Adira Energy Ltd., Toronto, will farm out partial interests in its Mediterranean licenses offshore Israel to Tohar Hashemesh Ltd.

Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. and Haimo Oil & Gas LLC will form new joint venture in the Niobrara play in the Denver basin in northeastern Colorado.

Sea Dragon Energy Inc., Calgary, and Dana Gas have fulfilled the work commitment for the Kom Ombo Block 2 concession 1,000 km south of Cairo, Egypt, and will surrender the balance of the area in January 2013.

Saratoga Resources Inc., Houston, has completed three oil and gas development wells in Southeast Louisiana that also encountered 15 new pool discoveries in sands that had no booked reserves allocated before drilling.

Simba Energy Inc., Vancouver, BC, said it has signed a production sharing contract with Chad for 100% interest in three prospective oil and gas blocks in the Doba, Doseo, and Erdis basins.

Lundin Petroleum AB said its Norwegian subsidiary has spudded the 7120/6-3 S exploratory well on the Snurrevad-Juksa prospect in PL490 in the Barents Sea offshore Norway.

Indonesia’s government and CBM Asia Development Corp., Vancouver, BC, have signed a production sharing contract for the 1,500 sq km Kuala Kapuas I CBM block in the central Barito basin of South Kalimantan.

The government of the Comoros Islands offshore East Africa between Mozambique and Madagascar issued a statement that Mozambique Channel Discovery, a subsidiary of Boulle Mining Group, is the only company to have a valid oil and gas exploration and production agreement in Comoros territorial waters.

New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd. has reached a conditional agreement to acquire a 6.667% interest, 5% of which is carried, in Petroleum Exploration Permit 38451 in the Deepwater Taranaki basin offshore New Zealand.

Calvalley Petroleum Inc., Calgary, said its Ras Nowmah-4 appraisal well on Block 9 in Yemen’s Masila basin is on early production at a restricted 400 b/d of oil from Cretaceous Qishn with limited pressure drawdown.

A subsidiary of New Zealand Energy Corp., Vancouver, BC, will enter a joint venture agreement with Westech Energy New Zealand, a subsidiary of Energy Corp. of America, under which NZEC can acquire 80% ownership and become the operator of a permit in New Zealand’s East Coast basin.