Tethys Petroleum Ltd. has signed a protocol of intent with the Uzbek state oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz for exploratory work on the Bayterek block in the North Ustyurt basin in northern Uzbekistan.

US Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) introduced legislation to ensure states that normally receive half of federal onshore oil and gas royalties under the Mineral Leasing Act actually receive the money.

The US Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs, Wyo., field office began a 30-day public scoping period on May 6 before it prepares an environmental assessment of Devon Energy Production Co. LP’s proposal to develop up to 20 new oil and gas wells within the Horseshoe basin unit.

Brazil’s 11th bidding round for onshore and offshore exploration rights, its first in 5 years, auctioned 142 blocks and drew bids totaling a record $1.4 billion.

Statoil has farmed into BP PLC’s four permits in the South Australian sector of the Great Australian Bight to earn a 30% interest overall.

TAG Oil Ltd., Vancouver, BC, said its Ngapaeruru-1 exploratory well on PEP 38349 in New Zealand’s East Coast basin had excellent mud gas shows at 1,140-1,295 m and that preliminary gas ratio analysis indicates a predominantly wet gas/oil signature.

Sinopec Group’s Addax Petroleum Cameroon Ltd. unit has let a contract to Atwood Oceanics Inc. for the Atwood Aurora jack up to drill offshore Cameroon.

Gas flowed at a maximum rate of 21.2 MMscfd at the Lengo-2 appraisal well in the East Java Sea offshore Indonesia and had the same composition as the gas from the 2008 Lengo-1 discovery well, said AWE Ltd., Sydney.

WesternZagros Resources Ltd., Calgary, has completed satellite topography mapping of the 1,780 sq km Garmian block in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Buccaneer Energy Ltd., Sydney, has spudded the Cosmo-1 well in 80 ft of water in Cook Inlet 30 miles northwest of Homer, Alaska.