Drilling/Production news briefs, May 7

Friede Goldman Halter Inc. said Ocean Rig ASA's Leiv Eiriksson fifth generation semisubmersible has left the FGH Pascagoula, Miss., facility to undergo final outfitting. FGH is also building a similar vessel, Eirik Raude.

Southwestern Energy Co., Fayetteville, Ark., said the latest three wells drilled in the Haileyville Prospect area in the western portion of the Arkoma basin in Pittsburg County, Okla., have increased production by a combined 29 MMcfd of gas. All of the wells in the Haileyville Prospect are operated by Oxley Petroleum Co., Tulsa.

CanBaikal Resources Inc., Calgary, said it fracture-treated a second well on its Untegey block in the west Siberian basin and placed the well on initial production test. The well, in which CanBaikal holds a 100% interest, is producing 250 b/d through a 4-mm choke -- bringing CanBaikal's daily production to more than 750 b/d. The company will also extend its evaluation period and work commitments for another 2 years, until December 2004.

Mike Mullen Energy Equipment Resource Inc., Dallas, Tex., has sold the jack up drilling rig Odin Star to Nabors International Drilling Ltd. Mike Mullen Energy Equipment said it has agreed to purchase another jack up during June, and claimed it is the most active company in the offshore drilling sale and purchase market.

Crosco Integrated Drilling & Well Services, Zagreb, Croatia, has begun drilling services at Karabagli for Salyan Oil Ltd. in Azerbaijan.

Fred. Olsen Energy ASA has reached an agreement for a 6-month contract extension of the semisubmersible Borgsten Dolphin on the UK Continental shelf. The extension, from mid-August, is worth £9.8 million.

K2 Energy Corp., Calgary, has contracted a drilling rig to drill up to 24 wells in the second and third quarters of this year on its oil and gas acreage on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northern Montana.