The Noble Energy Inc.-operated Carla South exploratory well on Block I offshore Equatorial Guinea has encountered oil in good quality sandstones at the target level and shortly is to be sidetracked to an adjacent target, said PA Resources AB, Stockholm.

Aera Energy LLC has drilled the Aera-Mortgage 881D-15 well in Kings County, Calif., in the San Joaquin basin to a final vertical depth of 15,362 ft and run electric logs.

Persistent exploration and drilling have resulted in a recoverable resource of more than 200 million stb of oil on Block PM304 offshore Peninsular Malaysia compared with the initial estimate of 12 million stb of oil for Cendor field a decade ago.

US voters strongly support domestic oil and gas development and recognize its significant benefits to the general economy, a survey released by the Western Energy Alliance in Denver indicates.

BG Group has drillstem tested gas from better than expected properties in the deeper Cretaceous reservoir at its Mzia-2 well on Block 1 offshore Tanzania.

What initially began as a simple chemical disclosure bill has now come full circle and, after nearly 3 years of negotiations, the State of Illinois is on the cusp of a comprehensive regulatory regime providing the oil and gas industry with clear guidelines for horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the state.

LOGAN COUNTY, Okla.—The Mississippi Lime, or Miss Lime, is a conventional limestone reservoir that responds well to unconventional technology. For many operators in Oklahoma and Kansas, the Miss Lime pays out like many other shale plays in other parts of the country.

FAULKNER COUNTY, Ark.—In January, the USGS announced results from its year-long groundwater study in the central portion of Arkansas' Fayetteville shale.

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."

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