Transocean Ltd. has deployed what it calls the first hybrid energy storage system aboard a floating drilling unit. The system is on the Transocean Spitsbergen harsh-environment, ultradeepwater, semisubmersible drilling rig.
AS Norske Shell has hired Dolphin Drilling’s Borgland Dolphin semisubmersible drilling rig for drilling and completion of a gas production well in Knarr field.
Petro Rio SA has begun the third phase of its revitalization plan for Polvo oil field in the Campos basin off Brazil. For the phase, the company has mapped 22 prospects with oil potential for a new drilling campaign.
Canada has added 8 rigs for the week ended Sept. 27, according to Baker Hughes data. With 127 rigs running, the count is 51 fewer than the number of rigs drilling this week a year ago.
Pharis Energy has let a contract to KCA Deutag unit RDS to carry out a conceptual study in the UK North Sea. Pharis aims to initiate the first major offshore steam flood project in the world and is exploring ways to maximize oil recovery in Pilot field.
Private Queensland company Timor Resources plans to drill five onshore wells in East Timor in 2020, the first such program in the country in nearly 50 years. The last program was in 1972.
Matador Resources Co., Dallas, will drill six wells with 2-mile laterals in the Antelope Ridge area of Lea County, NM, under permits newly received from the US Bureau of Land Management.
The US drilling rig count tumbled 18 units to reach 868 rigs working for the week ended Sept. 20. Oil rigs were down 14 to 719 rigs working for the week while rigs targeting natural gas fell 5 units to reach 148, according to Baker Hughes data.
Inpex Corp. of Japan has submitted its environmental plan for the Ichthys gas field Phase 2 drilling campaign offshore Australia to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.
US Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) introduced a bill that would increase bonds that oil and gas developers must post before being allowed to drill on federal onshore public lands.
The US drilling rig count dropped 12 units to reach 886 rigs working for the week ended Sept. 13. The count is down 169 units from the 1,055 rigs working this time a year ago, according to Baker Hughes data.
Vaalco Energy Inc., Houston, has started a drilling program in Etame oil field offshore Gabon that will include appraisal of a reservoir below existing production.
The international rig count for July reached 1,138 units, a decline of 24 from July and an increase of 130 from August 2018, according to Baker Hughes data. The international offshore rig count for August was 244, down 11 units from July.
The US drilling rig count fell 6 units, reaching 898 rigs working for the week ended Sept. 6, according to Baker Hughes data. The count is down 150 units from the 1,048 rigs working this time a year ago.
