Jun 17, 2013 - Origin Energy announced the start of exploratory drilling operations on the Ca Voi (Whale) prospect in Block 121 offshore Vietnam. Ca Voi-1X is being drilled by the Ocean General (mid-water semisub) in 885 feet of water in the largely untested Phu Khanh Basin. Origin plans to plug and abandon the well upon reaching the proposed total depth of 12,372 feet.

Jun 14, 2013 - The Stena Clyde (mid-water semisub) has spud the second well in its current drilling program in the Gulf of Papua off Papua New Guinea. Hagana-1 is being drilled in PPL 244 in almost 350 feet of water. The rig is expected to be on location for roughly 40 days as it tests the Pleistocene sandstone structure. Oil Search (40%) operates the license with support from its partners Total (40%) and Nippon Oil (20%). Hagana has been estimated to contain up to 1.3 Tcf of mean, unrisked, prospective gas resources.

Jun 5, 2013 - Diamond Offshore's Ocean Patriot (mid-water semisub) is anchored on location in 950 feet of water in the Galoc field. The rig has spud the Galoc-5H development well. Contracted by the field operator Otto Energy, the rig will drill the 5H and 6H wells as part of the Galoc Phase II development which was approved in September 2012. Drilling is expected to continue for roughly 115 days.

Jun 4, 2013 - Salamander Energy has spud the Tayum-1 well in the Kutai PSC offshore Indonesia. Shelf Drilling's Randolph Yost (300' ILC) is drilling the well that has been designed to target multiple stacked deltaic sandstone reservoirs. The reservoirs are estimated to hold 80 Bcf worth of gross recoverable resources. Total depth is expected to be reached at 8,408 feet. KrisEnergy (56%) operates the Kutai PSC with its partners Salamander Energy (23%) and Orchid Kutai (21%).

May 22, 2013 - Salamander Energy was forced to call a halt to drilling operations in its SE Sangatta PSC upon encountering unexpectedly high pressures in the North Kendang-1 well. A high-pressure wet-gas kick was taken as the well entered the first Upper Miocene sand. An extensive sub-surface and operational review has been conducted and it was determined that the well cannot be safely drilled without the use of Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) equipment. MPD equipment is not readily available in Indonesia so the time needed to import the equipment precludes the use of the rig currently under contract. The limited results from the well are encouraging and Salamander intends to continue the North Kendang drilling program as soon as possible.